


(Mostly) Solangelo One-Shots

by wordsofink



Series: solangelo one-shots [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alive Bianca di Angelo, Alternate Universe - Mortal, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Complete, Cute, Depression, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/M, Family Dinners, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Genie!Will, Hades/Persephone - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Minor Hazel Levesque/Frank Zhang, Minor Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Nico's good with children, One-Shots, Original Character - Freeform, Panic Attacks, Uncle Nico, Uncle Will, Valentina, alternate universe - Nico can see death dates, genie au, happy endings, kind of hades/persephone myth, long-shots, love potion, pregnancy mention, proposal, puppy adoption, solangelo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-02-24
Packaged: 2019-03-17 03:07:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13650144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wordsofink/pseuds/wordsofink
Summary: This will be a compilation of mostly Solangelo one-shots.Tags will be added as I write. Warnings will be tagged and posted at the beginning of each chapter if necessary. Please let me know if anything needs to be tagged.*characters are not mine unless otherwise noted*1: love potions - nico falls vicitm to a love potion2: out of the bag - nico's secretly dating will until it's not a secret3: surprise! - hazel has a surprise4: one for you, one for me - proposal fic5: wishing for better things - genie au (tw)6: uncle nico - nico babysits his nephew7: puppy love - they get a puppy8: to live is to love - nico can see people's death dates9: strings of fate - soulmate au with red strings that connect soulmates10: sunshine boy - nico falls in love with a boy who has hair the color of sunshine





	1. love potions

**Author's Note:**

> Nico falls victim to a love potion.

Nico was kind of creeped out, to say the least. (Un)fortunately, he wasn’t as oblivious as he’d been previously in his life. He knew when something was up. So he knew that there was some new camper stalking him. She was maybe eleven years old, curly hair and brown eyes. And she was the daughter of Aphrodite.

“So, wait. She just follows you around?” Jason asks. Nico nods. He gestures for Jason to be quieter. They’re eating lunch, and the Aphrodite table is just a few tables over. “That’s weird.”

“Yeah. And she never speaks. Just kind of glares at people and then stares at me.” Honestly, Nico had half a mind to send a skeleton or something after her. He was still weighing the morality of that decision when Jason finally speaks again.

“Why don’t you just talk to her? Tell her you don’t like her that way,” Jason suggests. Nico sighs. He didn’t like that girl at all. He hated to judge the Aphrodite cabin (most of them were very nice and friendly), but they were a little intense when it came to matters of the heart.

“Couldn’t you tell her?” Nico asks. “Drop a hint or something. I don’t even like girls,” Nico huffs.

Jason grins. “I’m kind of busy today.” Nico glares at him. “That’s the spirit.” He pats Nico’s shoulder before heading off to teach a class.  
-  
“He’s kind of moody, if you ask me,” Drew says.

Valentina nods. She can see the appeal of Nico di Angelo, but there are other men at camp. Men who don’t look like they could slice you in half without blinking an eye. Of course, on the other hand, she’s heard that Nico was really sweet.

“But he’s so handsome and powerful,” Gabby says. She’s new at camp, just arrived three weeks ago. She’d assimilated rather well, though Valentina supposed part of that was her newfound attachment to the son of Hades. “And he won’t even look at me!”

Drew tsks. Valentina looks unsure. She knows the look in Drew’s eyes. She’s seen first-hand what that look leads to.

“Sweetie, if he doesn’t care for you, that’s his loss.” Gabby pouts.

“Have you tried the Aphrodite charm?” Valentina suggests. Gabby nods, huffing.

“He didn’t even look my way. Just ran off to the infirmary after class.” Valentina looks at Drew, sighing. She loved her siblings and her mother, but they could take crushes to the next level.

“Maybe you should try talking to him first,” Valentina suggests. “See how he responds.”

“Or we could just do things my way. Simpler and faster,” Drew interrupts. “Sure to get you your man.”

“I need him to notice me!” Gabby whines. “I’m pretty enough. What else does he want from me?”

“So, here’s the plan.” Drew starts talking about a love potion that she can conjure. Gabby’s eyes get wide, and she’s bouncing with excitement. Valentina has to admit that their mother would be proud. Love was the name of the game, and Drew knew her stuff.

Valentina bites her tongue as Drew starts talking about how madly in love Nico will become with Gabby. She’s not sure how this will end, but she’s pretty sure she saw Nico checking out Will Solace the other day. She smiles to herself. Maybe this idea will be a good one after all.  
-  
“Nico, I think that there’s a girl wanting to talk to you,” Will whispers. Nico groans as he looks over his shoulder. “I’m going to go now. Because it kind of looks like she wants to kill me.” Nico can’t imagine a single camper who would want to murder Will Solace, but the glare on the girl’s face is close enough. Will hurries towards the infirmary.

“Um, hey,” Nico says. He feels kind of bad that he doesn’t know her name, but he’d also like to have some personal space.

“Hi,” the girl says. She twirls her hair, batting her eyes. Nico internally sighs and curses Will for leaving him alone with this girl. “I’m Gabby.”

“Nico.”

“I know who you are,” Gabby says. “You’re the Ghost King. I’ve heard all about you.” Nico’s starting to feel uncomfortable. Gabby is still twirling her hair, talking in some weird lilt, as she gets closer and closer to Nico. “I was wondering if you’d want to maybe go a date with me? We could have a picnic in the strawberry fields or-“

Nico cuts her off. “I’m sorry. I’m not interested in girls.”

Gabby goes from flirtatious to murderous. She stops twirling her hair, her eyes narrowing.

“Why not? I’m cute and pretty and fun. My mother is the goddess of love and beauty. I’m perfect!”

Nico considers just shadow-traveling away. He’s sure Will will forgive him. He decides that’s the best idea. Gabby’s still ranting, trying to grab his arm or kiss him. He doesn’t want to stick around to find out.  
-  
“He what?” Drew asks.

“He just disappeared. I tried to grab him to go with him, but he just left. It was so rude,” Gabby cries. Valentina hands her a tissue, patting her back.  
“He’s not one for a lot of touching,” she says softly. Gabby glares at her.

“We’re soulmates, though. He’s going to love me one of these days.” Drew nods.

“Time for the love potion. I just got it this morning.” Drew beams, handing it to Gabby. “You know the drill. But don’t get caught.” Gabby nods, running out the door.

“Think it’ll work?” Valentina asks.

“Why wouldn’t it?”  
-  
Nico feels kind of weird.

“Hey, di Angelo, you feeling okay?” Jason taps his forehead. Nico smiles.“Yeah. I feel great.” Jason gives him a weird look. Nico’s not sure what’s happening. He feels okay, better than okay, really. He feels kind of light and warm. He scans the dining pavilion, trying to find someone. His mind blanks. Who is he looking for?

“Are you sure you didn’t get a concussion or something?” Jason asks. “I think you might’ve when you fell during practice today. I told you we should have gone to Will.”

Will. That’s it.

Nico stands up, ignoring Jason’s protests. His eyes settle on the Apollo table. His eyes scan the blond heads, trying to find the one he’s looking for. There. Will Solace. He’s laughing at something one of his sister’s said. He looks like the sun. Nico frowns. Where did that thought come from?

And then Will’s looking at him, and Nico’s back to feeling warm and fluffy.

“Nico? Are you okay?” Will calls. Nico nods, moving to where Will is. Will stands up, pressing his hand against Nico’s forehead. Nico grins. “Are you sure?” Will glances over Nico’s head, probably at Jason.

“He might have a concussion,” is all Jason can say before Nico takes matters into his own hands.

He kisses Will Solace. Will lets out a muffled cry before softly kissing Nico back. The kiss lasts about two seconds before Will pulls away. Nico whines. Will’s cheeks are red, the freckles just barely visible over the blush. Nico wants to kiss Will again.

“WHAT?!” comes a cry. Nico just misses Will’s lips as Will turns to look at the source of the noise.

“He was supposed to kiss me!” Nico groans. Even in his happiest and most blissful state, that girl can bring him right back to reality. She flings herself at Nico, but both Jason and Will are there to block her. She pushes and slaps, but she can’t get through.

“You’ll pay for this! My mother won’t be happy!” Gabby screams. Chiron’s there immediately, taking control of the situation. Nico’s glad. He just wants to kiss Will again.  
-  
Jason’s laughing. Nico groans, burying his face in his hands.

“That really happened?” he asks. He’d kind of thought it was some weird dream. Jason nods.

“Yup. Right in the middle of lunch, too.” Nico’s not appreciating his embarrassment quite as much as Jason. He’ll never be able to look at Will again without thinking about what had just happened.

“I hate love,” Nico grumbles. Jason sobers.

“You don’t mean that.”

“I do,” Nico pouts. “It keeps making me do stuff I don’t want to do.” And now Jason’s back to grinning.

“You didn’t want to kiss Will?” he asks. Nico shakes his head, his cheeks very red. “Not even just a little bit?” Jason teases. “Or even a whole lot?”“Just, whatever, Grace.” Jason laughs. Nico’s about to throw an insult his way when there’s a knock on the cabin door. Of course, it’s Will.

“Um, hi, Nico,” Will starts. Nico gives him a wave. “I was wondering if we could talk.” Nico groans, but he nods. Might as well get this over with.  
“Well, I’ll see you two later. Don’t forget that cabin walls aren’t soundproof.” Nico flips Jason off.

“So, um, yeah,” Will says.

“Just rip the band-aid off, Solace,” Nico grumbles.

“We kissed. And I liked it. Because I like you. But it’s completely fine if you don’t like me back. I just wanted to clear the air.” Will take a breath, looking at Nico.

“Wait. You like me?” Nico’s trying to contain the hope in his voice. He feels all warm and fuzzy again, even though he was assured that the potion had worn off a few hours ago. “Don’t lie to me.”

“Really, Nico. I like you. I’ve wanted to kiss you for the past three months.” Will blushes.

“Oh. I, uh, really like you, too,” Nico says. Will grins.

“Yeah?” Nico nods. “Then could I, maybe, kiss you? Without a love potion.” Nico rolls his eyes, nodding. And this kiss is better than the first, simply because Will likes him. And he likes Will. And he almost wants to thank Drew for the love potion, but the better part of him wants to forget the whole thing had ever happened.


	2. out of the bag

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico's been secretly dating Will until one day it's not secret.

Nico didn’t quite understand why his friends were so adamant about him getting out of his cabin and enjoying some fresh air. He already did that enough, he thought. What with Will dragging him to breakfast at the crack of dawn (okay, more like nine) and Jason and Percy always begging to spar and Chiron signing him up to teach classes. Nico had quite enough fresh air and camp involvement.

Still, being a part of a secret club was kind of thrilling. Even if that secret club was formed mostly because camp gossip was boring and it wasn’t like they didn’t see enough of each other already. Still, Nico wouldn’t say he disliked it.They were at this month’s meeting. The meetings were monthly as Reyna couldn’t always get away from New Rome, and Percy and Annabeth were taking much-needed vacations away from Camp Half-Blood every now and then. Which left Nico and Jason the only two members of the club still considered Half-Blood campers.

“Did you bring the food?” Jason asks. Nico nods. It was Percy’s idea to have a picnic this time. Nico had been in charge of getting the food as he could carry it the easiest via shadow-traveling. He dumps his hoard of food onto the picnic blanket.  
“So, anything new since our last meeting?” Reyna asks. She was slower to get any news that wasn’t life-threatening. “Any new campers or quests?”

Jason shakes his head. “A few new campers. No quests. Thank goodness.” Reyna smiles.

“Annabeth and I are looking at an apartment,” Percy says. Nico was happy for Percy. He and Annabeth had started college and were now looking for a place to move in together. Reyna was helping them look for places in New Rome. “We’ve got our eyes on a place, but Annabeth’s still looking to remodel a little.”

Jason shrugs. “Might as well do it now before you start living in it.” Percy nods. They settle into a comfortable silence, munching on the sandwiches and fruit Nico had brought.

“Surprised to see healthy stuff,” Reyna says. “I thought we’d all be treated to McDonald's or something.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “Too expensive. This stuff was free.” It was partially true. But he also thinks that Will has a sixth sense for whenever Nico wants to do something unhealthy. The other week, he’d tried to sneak a Happy meal into camp, and Will had shown up at his cabin just six minutes later.

“Will’s talked some sense into him,” Jason says. “He can only eat McDonald's twice a month now.”

“Which is completely insane,” Nico grumbles. The camp’s burgers were nothing close to McDonald’s.

“So you and Will are friends?” Reyna asks. Nico nods.

“I kind of thought you two were dating,” Reyna says. Jason and Percy nod. “What with the way you two are always together and such.”

Nico shakes his head. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of dating Will, but it was still new to him. They’d only been together for about three weeks now, and Nico was still trying to get ahold of the skeletal butterflies that threatened to overtake him every time he saw Will. He and Will had agreed to keep their relationship a secret until Nico was more comfortable.

“He’s my doctor,” Nico says. “Or so he claims.”

Jason smiles. “Don’t worry, Nico. You two will be kissing in no time.”

Nico flushes, burying his face behind his sandwich. “Enough about Will. He can probably hear you.” Reyna laughs.  
“All the better. Maybe he’ll be less stingy with the details.” She pokes Nico’s arm to show she’s kidding.

“There’s nothing to tell,” Nico says, finally getting control of his blush. “We’re just friends.”  
-  
Reyna was sure something was up between Will and Nico. Since she’d started visiting Camp Half-Blood, she’d noticed the son of Apollo always hanging around Nico. At first, she’d thought that he was bothering Nico and was going to politely ask him to step back. But then she saw how Nico’s face would light up whenever Will appeared, and she decided to just wait and see.

But it had been four months, and nothing had happened yet. Sure, Nico was oblivious and still getting used to his sexuality. But Will was very straightforward and obvious. There had to be some realization that there were romantic feelings involved.

Reyna sighs. She hopes she won’t have to spell this out for Nico. Maybe she can get Jason to do it. As much as she hates meddling in peoples’ lives, she also wants to see Nico happy. And she’s never heard Nico laugh so hard as when Will accidentally had milk coming out of his nose. And there were other things, too. The gentle touches, the smiles, the way that Nico would blush whenever Will was present.

If things hadn’t changed by this meeting, she was going to take matters into her own hands.  
-  
Nico was late, and it was all Will’s fault. Well, partially his, too. But it wasn’t like he could tell Will about the secret club meeting in the woods without violating the secret part.

He finds his friends all circled around their usual spot. Reyna’s playing some kind of card game against Percy. Jason’s moderating. Even though Nico’s only ten minutes late, it seems as if war is being waged.  
“What’s up, Nico?” Percy doesn’t even look up as he says this, too busy trying to win. Reyna offers the same kind of hello.

“Only those two would take a game of luck and make it life or death.” Nico shrugs. Sometimes life was just luck. Tough luck in their case. Jason looks like he’s about to say something else when he pauses, looking Nico over. Nico’s starting to get uncomfortable when Jason quirks up his eyebrows and crosses his arms. He’s grinning, which is never a good sign.

“Wanna tell us why you were late?” Jason asks.

“I was helping in the infirmary,” Nico says. Which was true. Up to the point where Will and he had escaped out the back and ended up in Nico’s cabin. “They’re pretty busy today. Guess there was some big accident on the climbing wall.”

“And were you in the accident?” Jason asks. Nico can feel Jason’s eyes on him. On his neck, specifically. A thought crosses his mind; he denies it. But no, the moment flashes back, and he remembers with striking detail Will’s lips on his skin. And then Nico decides he’ll have to kill Will later. He’s got Jason to deal with now.

“I think Nico has something interesting to share with us,” Jason says. This gets Reyna’s and Percy’s attention. Nico can see the moment when they all realize what’s happened.

“Say something!” Nico huffs. They’re all just staring at him, various stages of shock and amusement.

“Just a friend, huh?” Reyna teases. Nico flushes. “So, spill.”

“We’ve kind of been dating, I guess,” Nico says. “For about a month at this point.” He shrugs. Under their eyes, he feels kind of unsure. “We wanted to keep it secret until we were ready.”

“Judging on those marks, I’d say you two are definitely dating. And very bad at hiding it.” Percy whistles. “So, is Will a good kisser?”

“Yes,” Nico says. Because why deny it?

Reyna’s grinning. “I think I’m going to have to talk to this Will Solace while I’m here. Just to make sure we’re on the same page.” Nico’s eyes widen, and then he’s taking off after Reyna.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated :)


	3. surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hazel has a surprise.
> 
> (of course, unless you've read the tags haha)

Hades, Nico supposed, was trying to be a good father. This was why he received a formal invitation to dinner every Sunday morning. The invitations were always left on his nightstand, and they were always delivered by some unfortunate Underworld spirit.

The first few dinners had been awkward at best and uncomfortable at the worst. Part of Hades never officially acknowledging his two remaining children had kind of left some unsaid things that should have been said. It wasn’t that Nico held a grudge against Hades. Family dinners were just not quite his thing. But he did get to see Hazel, which was a plus.

Now, on the fiftieth (or so) Sunday dinner, Nico was pretty comfortable with how things went. Hades provided the food (not via the Underworld), and Hazel and Persephone provided conversation. Nico was to provide his presence. It seemed that Hades and Hazel were equally surprised when he continued to show up (and equally pleased).

“Welcome, my son,” Hades greets. Nico shrugs. He’s still not sure how to interact with his father. They’d been strictly on professional terms for the longest time, and it was hard to break those. Especially when both parties were equally unsure.

“Hello, Father.” Hades smiles, ushering him into the dining hall. While the Underworld was a far cry from hospitable, it had come a long way from where it had been. They no longer ate with poor spirits and ghosts serving them. The dull, gothic decorations had been replaced by flowers and more traditional ornate décor (again, mostly Hazel and Persephone’s doing).

“I think I’m starting to like these dinners,” Hades says. It had come up in one of the previous dinners that these were Persephone’s idea. But Hades wasn’t one to say no when it came to good ideas from his wife.

“They’re not as bad as I thought,” Nico says.

Hazel greets him more warmly, a flying hug and a kiss on the cheek. Nico hugs her back, smiling. She bounces up and down in front of him. Then she’s pulling him towards the seat next to her. The dining table had been shrunk so that they could enjoy a nice family dinner instead of a distant formal feast.

“Nico, dear,” Persephone greets, sweeping into the room. Nico allows her to hug him, placing a kiss on his hair. “I hope that Solace boy has been treating you well.”

Nico nods. He and Will had been together for almost two years now, and things had been going well. “We’re looking for an apartment now.” Will had just started college, and Nico hated the distance.

“Aren’t you too young to be living together?” Hades asks.

“We’re almost twenty now. Most demigods have already moved out and are starting families,” Nico says. Percy and Annabeth were now married, and Jason and Piper were engaged. Sure, they were older, but it wasn’t like they’d waited long before popping the question.

“Young people these days. It’s so hard to keep track.” Nico shrugs.

“So I should be expecting a wedding invitation soon?” Persephone asks.

Nico blushes. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.” Both Hazel and Persephone turn to him.

“I guess you kids always seem to be in a hurry,” Hades says. He crosses his arms, and Nico rolls his eyes. It wasn’t that he hadn’t thought about marrying Will. There had just been so many other things to consider. Money, stability, schooling, where they were going to live . . .

“Well, I think it’s okay that you two are waiting. As long as you’re happy,” Hazel says. She squeezes his hand, smiling. Nico nods. As much as he pretends not to care about others’ opinions, he does, and it feels nice to be supported.

“But I do expect to be invited,” Persephone says. “When you do pop the question.”

Hazel laughs. “Knowing Will, he’s already got it planned out.” Persephone nods.

“I could ask him first!” Nico huffs.

Hazel just shrugs. She’s about to say something else, but the first course is served, and everyone is hungry. It takes. Few minutes to get the conversation started up again.

“I’m going to try and start a garden down here,” Persephone says. Nico isn’t sure how that’s supposed to work. Don’t flowers need sunlight and soil and just generally the opposite of the Underworld? “Mom said she was going to get me some special seeds. Hopefully, it’ll work.”

“I can’t wait to see it,” Hazel beams. Persephone smiles.

“And then I can send you guys flowers whenever I want! I don’t have to wait.” Hades manages a small smile. For all of his grumpiness, Nico knows he cares about Persephone. It’s the least he can do after practically trapping her down here.

Hazel and Persephone discuss the design of the garden until the main course arrives. Nico’s a little disappointed to see that it’s not McDonald’s, but it is burgers. He lets out an appreciative sound as he bites into his food. Mortal food is definitely better than Underworld food in both taste and satisfaction.“I hope that boyfriend of yours knows how to cook,” Persephone says. “You’re still much too skinny.”

Nico sighs. “I’m the one who does the cooking,” he says. Will was pretty much hopeless in the kitchen. He could make anything from a package or a box, but he was always trying to spice up recipes or add secret ingredients. Which usually resulted in a messy kitchen and weirdly colored food.

“Well, I hope you’re keeping him well-fed, then. It’s very important that teenagers get enough food and sleep,” Persephone adds. Nico nods. He and Will weren’t quite getting the full nine to ten hours recommended, but they weren’t lacking sleep. It would help once they moved into an apartment.

“She’s been reading those parenting books,” Hades explains. Hazel and Nico nod.

“Don’t worry about us. We’ve got a lot of friends looking out for us,” Hazel says. Persephone smiles.

“And how about your man?” she asks.

Hazel blushes.

“Well, I’ve got some news.”

Nico frowns. He glances at his sister’s hand, but it’s undecorated. Hazel would tell him if she were getting married, right? Frank would have told him, right?

Hazel grins. “We’re pregnant!”

Persephone jumps out of her seat to congratulate Hazel, leaving Hades and Nico unsure of what to do. Nico’s mind was brimming with questions. He wasn’t sure if it was polite to ask. Hades just kind of looked uncomfortable.

“How long?” Persephone asks.

“Just had my second doctor’s appointment last Monday. We wanted to wait to know for sure before we told anyone.” Hazel’s cheeks are pink, but she looks really happy.

“I’m happy for you, sis,” Nico says. Hazel smiles. 

“It was killing me not to tell you, but I wanted it to be a surprise.” She pauses to fan herself, laughing.

“So, does Frank know?” Hades asks.

Hazel laughs. “Yeah, he knows. He’s really happy, too. Proposed on the spot, actually.” Nico laughs. That sounded just like Frank. “Apparently, he’d been planning on proposing, but he hadn’t planned it out yet.”

“And you can’t tell our friends first!” Hazel says, turning to Nico. “Frank promised me that I could tell everyone.” Nico nods, leaning in to hug Hazel.

“Well, how about a toast?” Hades asks. They all pick up their glasses of water as Hades gives a really short speech about how amazing Hazel is. “To my daughter. And now for dessert!”

Nico’s mind quickly changes tracks as he finds that Hades had been planning chocolate cake for dinner the entire time. Hazel sees him eyeing a particular slice and laughs.

“You and your chocolate.”

Nico tunes out conversation after that as he focuses on eating his cake. It’s delicious, and for half a second, he considers bringing some home for Will. But then he decides to eat the entire slice. Will liked pastries better, anyways.

When dinner is over, Nico hugs Hazel again. He’s really happy for her and proud. She and Frank will be great parents. When he gets home, he automatically tells Will before remembering that Hazel wanted to tell everyone himself. He slaps his hands over his mouth after asking Will to promise not to tell anyone.

“Oh, I already knew,” Will says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated :)


	4. one for you, one for me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> some cute fluff for Valentine's Day - proposal fic

Nico was nervous out of his mind.

He didn’t think he’d ever been this nervous. Which was crazy because he’d literally had to fight for his life on several occasions, fight monsters, and be forced to profess his love for his very annoying friend. But, now, he was more nervous than he’d ever been.

He’d locked himself in the bathroom this morning. The main goal was to appear calm and collected, normal. That meant his hands needed to stop shaking, he needed to breathe evenly, and he needed to not accidentally ruin everything before it had even begun. It sounded easier if he was preparing himself to face a gorgon or a dragon or some creature from hell. Instead, he was facing his boyfriend, the ever-sunny Will Solace.And Will would be able to detect ever single nervous symptom from a mile away.

“Nico? You in there?” Will knocks on the door.

“Yeah. Just a minute.” Nico turns on the water just to make it seem like he’s doing something productive. Then he unlocks the door. Will walks in, all dressed in his scrubs. He drops a kiss on Nico’s head before grabbing his toothbrush.

“You okay?” Will asks around his toothbrush. “You’re kind of pale. Are you getting sick?”

Nico shakes his head. He feels like he should be sick. His hands are clammy, his skin is hot. His stomach is in knots. Will raises his eyebrows, pressing his free hand to Nico’s forehead. Nico waits patiently for Will to diagnose him.

“You’re not sick. But you’re acting weird.” Will eyes him for a little longer before shrugging.

Nico practically sprints to the kitchen. He had been planning on making pancakes as both of them had some extra time this morning, but he’s so nervous that he sticks to something more regular. Will walks in as Nico is plating their omelets. Will smiles, wrapping his arms around Nico’s waist before he can sit down.

“Good morning, Nico,” Will breathes. He kisses Nico again, spinning him around so he can kiss Nico properly this time. Nico lets himself relax into the kiss. It seems that no matter how many times he and Will kiss, it never gets old. It still makes Nico blush, his heart rate skyrocket, his mind short-circuit.

They eat breakfast in silence. Nico’s too nervous to make conversation, and Will seems content to stare out of their big kitchen window. Then he’s jumping up, kissing Nico once more, and heading off to work.  
-  
Will thought he was going to have a heart attack.

He kept checking the symptoms, checking his pulse rate, trying to remember what he’d eaten. He didn’t have a history of heart attacks or anything related. Then again, how much could you really trace if your father was an Olympian god? Will wasn’t sure. Still, he’d reattached limbs, birthed a baby, and had saved numerous people from the brink of death. Yet, he was scared of one simple question.

Today was his last shift for the week, and he and Nico had some plans for the weekend. Will had taken the liberty to add a few things to the list of things they were already going to do. He just hoped Nico liked them. He had originally been worried that Nico would get suspicious, but it seemed as though Nico had other things on his mind lately. Which Will cared about. But he was kind of stressed out at the moment. And Nico would tell him if something was wrong, right?

Will’s brought back to the real world when his pager starts going off. He clicks his mind over to doctor-mode and rushes down the hall. His nerves would have to wait.  
-  
Jason was watching Nico. Nico could feel his eyes on him. He slowly put the last bite of his sandwich in his mouth, chewing. Jason blinks.

“What?” Nico asks, not even caring that he’s just talked around a mouthful of food in public.

“You’re nervous,” Jason says, grinning. Nico swallows, huffs, steals one of Jason’s chips. He knew he was nervous. Jason didn’t need to rub it in. “Which is okay, Nico. But there’s no need to be. Will loves you. He practically asked you to marry him the day you two started dating.”

Nico laughs at the memory. Will had meant to ask if Nico would be his boyfriend. Only, he’d said husband instead.

“So, don’t sweat it. Will’s going to say yes.” Jason pauses. “And if he doesn’t, I’ll take care of it.”

“Don’t threaten my boyfriend, Grace. Especially when he isn’t even here to defend himself.” Jason laughs.

“I’m just saying. I’m here for you.” Nico nods.

“I’m just worried he’ll think it’s too cliché or that I won’t be able to get the words out right.” Nico sighs. He had somewhat of a speech that he’d prepared. He didn’t want to go in empty-handed. Will was the one with the words. He was the one with the moves, the cheesy pick-up lines. (Nico had once caught Will reading a book on how to woo your boyfriend.)

“Well, if I know Will, he’ll be too emotional to care,” Nico smiles. That was probably true. If Nico managed to get on his knee and pull out the ring, the rest would take care of itself. “So just breathe, Nico. It’ll be okay.”  
-  
Things were definitely not okay.

Nico was in the kitchen, making them pancakes with chocolate chips. Which was good and lovely and adorable. What wasn’t any of those things was that Will had misplaced the ring. He’d set it in his sock drawer when he’d first gotten it because he knew Nico would never look in there. But then he’d moved it later to a better hiding spot, a Will-proof hiding spot, apparently.

“Will? Pancakes are ready.”

“Be right there! I have to find the perfect outfit.” He can hear Nico rolling his eyes and smiles.

“Well, if you’re not out here soon, you’ll be left with plain pancakes,” Nico calls back.

Will takes a deep breath, scanning the room. Where had he not looked? He’d look in his drawers, the closet, his desk, his nightstand. His eyes settle on Nico’s drawers. He doubts it’d be in there, but Nico would never suspect him to hide his own ring there.

Will’s searching comes to a stop when he finds the black ring box settled underneath Nico’s ties. He doesn’t remember putting it there, but he doesn’t care. He’s found it. Carefully, he slips it into his pocket, making sure that it isn’t obvious. Then he goes out to fight for his pancakes.  
-  
Nico thinks that Will is acting weird. It had started with Will coming out of their room without a shirt even though he’d spent the last twenty minutes in their room saying he needed to find the perfect outfit. And while Nico loved seeing Will shirtless, he wasn’t going to be seen in public with a shirtless Will. Some pleasures were for his eyes only.

And then Will went between rambling about nothing in particular to being completely silent. Nico wondered if it was his nerves rubbing off on Will, so he didn’t say anything. If he brought it up, Will would probably ask him about his own nerves. And Nico wasn’t ready yet.

Nico was sure Will could feel his clammy his hands were. He’d freaked out this morning when he couldn’t find the ring. He’d remembered putting it with his ties, but that wasn’t where he’d found it. Instead, he found it in their closet, back behind a dusty fish tank and some photo albums.

“Lunch?” Nico asks. He’s not really hungry, but it is almost two in the afternoon. And he was sure Will was hungry.

“Yeah. Here?” Will asks. It’s a small cafe that they’d been to maybe once or twice. Cafes were nice when it was rainy, or if Nico needed some coffee and relaxation. He’d never bought into the romance-in-a-cafe thing. It just didn’t seem real.

They take a seat by the window. Nico almost doesn’t notice it when Will dumps the salt into his drink instead of sugar. Will’s face turns red as he makes a face. He tries to get Nico to drink some, but Nico isn’t fooled.

“I saw what you did.”

Will’s expression sobers. “Saw what? I put sugar in my drink.”

“Right. Take another sip, will you?” Will wrinkles up his nose, sticking his tongue out. Nico laughs as Will explains his mistake to the waitress who promptly gets him a new water with lemon.

“I was thinking we could have dinner at that nice Italian place,” Nico says. The food was as authentic as Nico could vouch for, and it was just pricey enough that it didn’t break their budget.

“I was thinking the same thing,” Will says. Nico smiles. “I, uh, already got us reservations.”

Nico’s eyebrows rise. “Oh, yeah? Planning something special?”

Will swallows. “Nothing more special than treating my boyfriend.” Nico laughs. He mentally scans through the holidays. He hadn’t missed anything. This was just one free weekend out of many that weren’t. “I thought it’d be nice because I had the time off,” Will adds.

And it seems just like Will. Always trying to surprise him with thoughtful gifts and dates. Nico would be mad, but his mind is full of other things.

“What time is the reservation?”

“Six-thirty.” Nico nods. That would still give him time to not freak out.  
-  
They end up taking a nap midday. Because they’re adults who have full-time jobs. And hanging out with each other all day is kind of tiring. Even though one wouldn’t know it because they end up cuddling together within fifteen minutes of getting into bed.

“We should set an alarm,” Nico mumbles. Will kisses Nico’s forehead. His eyelids are already dropping closed. “We’re going to oversleep.”

“Nonsense. It’s only three.” That’s the last thing Will thinks before falling asleep.

When he wakes up, the room is darker, and Nico has settled against Will’s side. Will runs a hand through Nico’s hair, kissing the back of Nico’s neck. Nico shifts, turning to face Will, a sleepy smile on his face.

“What time is it?” he mumbles.

Will cranes his neck, eyes flying open.

“It’s six fourteen.” And then they’re both jumping out of bed, hurrying to their respective drawers to get their clothes. Nico takes the bathroom, leaving Will in the bedroom. Will carefully transfers the ring to his dress pants, combing back his hair. Then he and Nico are switching places. Will slips a few mints into his pocket. He usually didn’t mind dinner-breath, but tonight was a special night. And garlic was usually strong in Italian dishes.

Then they’re off.

They get seated quickly, and Will resists stuffing a breadstick in his mouth to stop himself from proposing right now. He’d planned to propose after dinner. He had a special spot picked out.  
Nico looks so perfect, just sitting there across from him. He’s left his hair down and loose, but he’s applied just a bit of makeup, the way that always makes Will weak. Right now, he’s mumbling soft Italian as he reads the menu. Nico had made it a mission to try something different each time they came here. Will always just let Nico order for him.

“Decided?” Will asks when Nico finally looks up.

“I think so,” Nico says, smiling. And then Nico orders before excusing himself to the bathroom, leaving Will to eat yet another breadstick and down yet another glass of water. At this rate, he’d be full of bread and making a bathroom stop every fifteen minutes.  
-  
Dinner goes smoothly, Nico thinks. They’d decided to skip appetizers as Will had eaten most of the breadsticks. The main courses were delicious as always. They always got two dishes, shared them, and took the remaining home for late night snacks.

But it’s almost time for dessert. They don’t usually order dessert as it was an extra expense, and they were always too full. But Nico’s ordering dessert before Will can even say no to the menu.

“Going all out tonight?” Will asks. There’s a sparkle in his eyes, one that would usually mean making out was in the future. But they’re in public, so Nico has to settle with holding Will’s hand. He’s surprised that he’s made it this far through dinner without Will getting suspicious.

The dessert arrives, one cannoli filled to the brim with cream. Will smiles, moving to cut the cannoli in half. Nico holds his breath.  
-  
Will’s looking at Nico curiously as he bites into the cannoli. It’s delicious. He offers Nico a bite, but Nico shakes his head.

“I’m full,” Nico says. He laughs, but it doesn’t seem to come out right. Will looks at him again, taking another bite. The cannoli is really good, and Nico should really just try it. Besides, why did he get a cannoli if he wasn’t going to eat it?

Will’s not sure. After dinner, he’s planning on taking Nico downtown to the park where he’s asked Reyna to string up some lights and decor. Will’s brought back to reality when he bites on something hard. At first, he thinks maybe he’s accidentally bitten his finger. But there’s no pain in his hand. And then he pulls out a ring.

He looks at Nico. Nico’s down on one knee. Will’s brain short-circuits.

“A ring?” he asks, not quite believing it. Had Nico been planning on proposing? He cleans off the ring, licking away the cream. He’s about to look at Nico again when something catches his eyes. This ring looks familiar. Is this his ring? Did they get the same ring for each other?  
“Will?” Nico asks. “Is something wrong?”

“This is my ring?” Will says. Nico’s eyes are wide, but he nods.

“If you let me- I mean, I want to ask you. I’m going to ask you.” Nico grabs Will’s hands, swallowing. Will can’t decide if he wants to laugh or cry. Of course! He’d been so busy planning out his own proposal that it had never occurred to him! “Will.”

Will’s eyes lock with Nico’s. “Yes,” he says, even though he’s not quite sure Nico’s even asked. But there’s the ring. It couldn’t mean anything else, right? “I want to be your husband,” Will says. He catches Nico rolling his eyes before their lips connect. He feels the slightly sticky ring slide over his finger. He’s definitely crying.  
-  
Nico’s so happy. He can’t believe Will’s his fiancée. It’s happening. It’s happened. He and Will are going to get married. He can’t even remember where he is right now because his only thought is Will, Will, Will. Will’s lips, Will’s tears, Will’s arms around him.

They pull away for breath. Will’s smirking, which Nico can’t quite understand.

“You just had to go first,” Will whispers. It takes Nico a minute to stop thinking about Will’s lips and focus on Will’s words.

“What?” First?

Will slaps some money down on the table before pulling Nico out of the restaurant. They don’t go back to their car, instead, running down the sidewalk. Nico’s out of breath by the time they’re at the park. For a moment, Nico thinks he’s somehow in heaven. Because there are lights in the trees, and Will’s laughing. And then Will is getting down on one knee.

“You totally beat me, but I’m going to ask anyway,” Will says. He’s breathless and beautiful, and Nico has to restrain himself from just yelling yes.

“Nico di Angelo, will you marry me?” And then Nico really does fling himself at Will. They’re on the wet grass in their nice clothes, but neither of them cares. (They can care tomorrow, but tonight is for other things.)

“Gods, yes, Will.” Will’s crying again, and Nico’s almost there. (He did drink less water than Will tonight.)  
Will slides the ring over Nico’s finger, and Nico frowns.  
“Wait. This is my ring?” Will looks at him, confused.

“This isn’t my ring.” They both glance at their hands, then at each other. Then they’re laughing, stumbling over each other as they try to explain and catch their breaths.

“I can’t believe you,” Will whispers, pressing a soft kiss to Nico’s cheek.

“I can’t believe you either, Solace,” Nico mumbles.

“Solace-di Angelo,” Will corrects. Nico nods. And then he’s kissing Will because he can’t believe he’s going to marry this man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated :)


	5. wishing for better things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will is a genie, and Nico has three wishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: depression, talk of suicide, panic/anxiety attack

Nico sighs when he sees the perfectly wrapped present sitting on his bed. His dad was always randomly leaving him small gifts. Nico supposed it was because his father thought it’d make up for his lack of presence in his son’s life. Nico didn’t care (well, he did), but he wished his father would actually get him something he liked. He had a box of unwanted presents underneath his bed. The contents included old dice, finger puppets, a hand mirror, and a small stuffed bunny that would have been cute if its eyes weren’t red.

Nico sighs again as he unwraps his present. He might as well open it and pretend he likes it. If his father ever asked. His father probably didn’t even wrap this present himself.

Inside is a genie lamp. Well, it looks like a genie lamp. Knowing his father, it was probably found in some yard sale or thrift shop. It was always nice to know his father went all out when he shopped for his son.

Nico sets the lamp on his nightstand, crawling into bed. School was too long, and people were too loud. He just wanted to escape, and sleep could do that for him. (At least, temporarily.)

Later, when he wakes up, he remembers the lamp. It’s dusty and rusted, but it’s a pretty good replication. There are even tiny engravings along the base.

Nico dusts it off with his sleeve. For a moment, he wonders if this was a real genie lamp. He wonders what he’d wish for. Probably for his sister and mother back. Maybe to disappear.

“Um, hey,” comes a voice. Nico lets out a shriek as he realizes that there’s a guy in his room. Wait. There’s a guy in his room.

“What are you doing here?”

The guy is kind of shiny, no glowing. His skin is tan, and his hand is golden. His eyes are crystal blue. His voice is-

“I’m a genie. I’m here to grant your wishes.” The guy smiles. “Oh, and my name is Will. If you care.”

Nico nods. “Did my father hire you?”

“What?” Will frowns, looking confused. “I’m bound to my lamp and whoever calls on me, but I can’t be hired. I have no use for money.”

“This is a joke,” Nico whispers. But he doesn’t think that his father would go through all of this just to play a joke on him. His father had wanted the minimum amount of contact with Nico since the accident.

“It’s more like magic,” Will says. “But whatever helps you.”

Nico looks at him. “So, you’re a genie?” Will nods. “And you grant wishes.” Will nods again.

“Three to be exact.” He pauses. “There are a few conditions. I can’t bring anyone back from the dead. I can’t make anyone fall in love or anything that requires manipulation of emotions. And you can’t wish for multiple things in one wish.” Nico nods. That was fair. He was sure emotions were beyond magic.

“To wish, you just need to say ‘Will, I wish’, and then say your wish. But those exact words, or else it won’t happen.” Nico nods. “I had to make it super specific. Apparently, wishing is super common.” Nico shrugs. He’d done a fair share of wishing in his life.

“Can I think about it? Is there a time limit?”

“Nope. I’m here until you make your three wishes. Then I’m back in the lamp.” Will smiles. “Take your time.”

Nico nods. “Do you want to go back into your lamp?”

Will shrugs. “Whatever is comfortable for you.”

“I’m going to sleep. Feel free to do whatever. My father won’t mind.” He watches Will look around the room before settling onto the couch on the far side of Nico’s room. Nico shrugs. Then he crawls into bed, pulls the covers over his head, and goes to sleep.  
-  
“How does one become a genie?” Nico asks. He’s more awake and sociable now that he’s slept, Will thinks. He seems almost excited at the prospect of having his wishes granted. “I mean, is there an application or something?”

Will shrugs. “No application. It kind of just happens, I guess. I don’t really remember too much about that.” Nico nods.

“So, do you have a genie family?” Will’s not sure where all of these questions are coming from. The first day he and Nico had spent together had been mostly quiet and awkward. Nico just slept and stared at his homework. Now, he was sitting across from Will on the couch, eating tacos and asking questions.

“I don’t think so. I mean, if I do, I don’t know about them.” Will’s never really thought about it. Being a genie was mysterious.

“I just kind of woke up in the lamp. And then I was a genie. There wasn’t really any introduction course or induction ceremony.” Nico frowns.

“That kind of sucks. They could have at least warned you or something.”

Will thinks that they did, but as a genie, any memory of another life is gone.

Will takes a bite of his taco. He’d heard about them from previous clients. (That was what he’d taken to calling them. Clients.) He’d never had one before. It’d never occurred to him that he needed to eat. Or maybe he still didn’t. But the taco was delicious, and it seemed to make Nico happier. So Will was going to eat it.

“Think of your wishes yet?” Will asks.

Nico shrugs. “Not really.” He pauses, not quite looking at Will. “I’ve had some ideas, but I’m still not sure.”

“That’s cool. I have no schedule.” He finishes off his taco, letting out a burp. Will slaps a hand over his mouth as Nico looks at him, wide-eyed.

“You’re pretty much a human with magic powers,” he says. Will shrugs, but he smiles. It feels kind of nice to be likened to a human.

“I think it’d be kind of cool being a genie,” Nico says. Will’s not so sure about that. He’s sure human life is so much more interesting than being stuck in a lamp for days on end. “I mean, you just grant wishes and move on. No attachments.”

Will doesn’t bother correcting him. He’s just happy to see Nico smiling.  
-  
It’s been five days, and Nico’s still not sure about his wishes. He feels kind of selfish for wanting to wish himself away, but it’s not like anyone’s going to miss him. His father didn’t even notice that there was a magical genie living in Nico’s room. And Nico didn’t really have friends. Not since he pushed them all away and became a hermit.

“Hey, Nico!” Nico looks up, half expecting to see Will. But Will’s back in his room.

“Hey, Reyna.” Nico gives her a wave, but he keeps walking. He doesn’t feel like talking today. It’s just one of those days.

“Nico di Angelo.” And then she’s grabbing his arm. “We gave you time and space, but you can’t keep shutting us out.”

“It’s what I’ve been doing, and it’s working fine,” Nico says. He doesn’t have time for this. He jerks his arm away. “I don’t need you to babysit me just because you feel bad about what happened.”

He hears Reyna huff. “You know that’s not what this is, Nico.” Nico stops, turning to her.

“Look, I’m sorry that I shut you out. But I’m not the same person I was a year ago. That person isn’t coming back.”

Reyna gives him a sad smile. “None of us are the same people, Nico.” She moves over to a bench, patting the space beside her. “But we’re still living, Nico. We didn’t just shut ourselves down forever.”

He knows it’s true, but he can’t find it in himself to care. No one would care if he just left. Reyna would get over it; she’d move on. His father probably wouldn’t even blink an eye. The only people who would have cared are gone now.

“Nico?”

Nico stands up. “It doesn’t matter, Reyna. You might have moved on, but I haven’t. You don’t have to go home to an empty house every day to a father that can’t even look at you. It hurts, and it won’t stop hurting. So don’t tell me how to live my life!”

And then he’s running to that empty house. Because he can’t think of a better place to go.  
-  
Will’s not sure how to respond.

“I just don’t want to be here anymore,” Nico says. There’s no emotion in his words.

Will doesn’t understand. He knows he’s missed out on a lot of life, but he doesn’t understand how someone could just want to disappear. He disappears all of the time, and each time it feels like nothing. And he kind of hates it, honestly.

“But there’s so much to live for,” Will says. He’s been in Nico’s life for just over a week now, but he’s already lived so much more than he ever has. He’s watched the sun rise and set. He’s eaten tacos and ice cream and crackers. He’s watched TV and played video games. (Nico let him have free run of the house while he was at school.) Will had even gone outside for a little bit.

“Like what?” Nico asks.

Will falters. Everything he finds special is because he’s never had it. But to Nico, it’s nothing new. “What about your father?” Will asks, though he knows it’s a long shot. He hasn’t even seen Nico’s dad. Only in pictures.

“He wouldn’t even notice.”

“What about your sister or mom? They’d want you to live.” Nico gives a forced laugh.

“They’d want me to be happy. But they aren’t here anymore. So it doesn’t matter. They left me. I’m just joining them.”  
Will sighs. He hates that heartbroken expression on Nico’s face. “Can we make a deal?” Will asks. Nico looks at him, frowning.

“What kind of deal?”

“Like, I’ll grant your wish. But I want you to seriously try to be happy. Do something fun.” He pauses. “But if you still want to disappear in a week, I-I’ll do it.”

“Fine.”  
-  
It’s day one of their deal. Nico isn’t even sure what to do. Nothing really seemed fun anymore. The best part of his day was sleeping. Sometimes it was nice talking to Will, if Nico needed company.

“We could go bike riding or a walk in the park or to a coffee shop!” Will suggests. Nico almost laughs. Nico had introduced Will to the Internet, and Will seemed to have done his research. “Or we could stargaze or make s’mores or go camping!”

“Okay, Will. I got it.” Will blushes, sitting down on Nico’s bed.

“Why don’t we just go downtown or something? We might find something to do there.” Will nods. “But you’ll need to change. You can’t go out dressed like that.”

Will looks down at what he’s wearing. In a flash, he’s wearing a new outfit. “Good?” Nico shakes his head. Will’s got some weird ensemble of clashing colors.

“More like what I’m wearing. Jeans and a T-shirt. Sneakers.” Will nods. Another flash. Then he’s in blue jeans and a Snoopy T-shirt. Nico thinks it’s kind of cute. “Good.”

Nico hasn’t been downtown in ages. Bianca always liked to come downtown, and there were always too many memories. Will is looking everywhere, his eyes wide with excitement. He’s almost run into several people just because he was staring at a shop sign or a dog. Nico smiles. It feels kind of nice being here again. Almost like Bianca’s still alive.

“Oh my gosh!” Will gasps. Nico looks to where Will’s pointing. “Is that an ice cream shop? There’s more than one flavor? Twelve different flavors? Can we go in?” Will’s like a little kid. Nico grabs his hand, pulling him to the store just to get people to stop staring at them.

It takes forever for Will to choose what he wants. Fortunately, Nico’s dad is rich, so Nico’s got a little room for spending. So Will gets three flavors: chocolate, strawberry, caramel sea salt. Nico gets mint chocolate chip. He was never one for sweet things. That was more up Bianca’s alley.

They end up on a park bench because Will’s going to dump his ice cream on someone if he’s not watching. He almost dumps it on himself when he tries to whistle to a bird.

“This is really nice,” Will says. “I love ice cream. It’s got to be magical. If I could grant my own wishes, I’d wish for ice cream whenever I wanted.”

“Really?” Will nods.

“What else would you wish for?”

Will shrugs. “I haven’t really thought about it. I mean, I have. But, I don’t know.” He pauses. “I think, maybe, I’d wish for my old life back. My family and friends, whoever they were. Being a genie is nice, but it’s really lonely.”

Nico can see that. Will had been nothing but friendly to him. He was always smiling and laughing and talking. Will was the complete opposite of him. Will deserved life. Nico was just wasting his.

“So, ice cream and your old life. Anything else? You have one more.” Will just shakes his head.

“Still thinking on that one.”  
-  
“You seem happier.” Nico stares at his father. It’s weird seeing him. He can’t remember the last time they’d talked. “I take it school is going well.” Nico nods. “Your friends are good?” Nico nods again. “That’s good.” Nico nods a third time.

“You know, I don’t blame you for what happened.” And now Nico’s angry. Because if he didn’t blame Nico for anything, why had he shunned him for the past year. “I’ve just had a lot of things to deal with, so I’m sorry that I haven’t really been around much.”

“You’ve had a lot of things to deal with?” Nico shouts. “What about me? Or did you forget that I lost my sister and my mother? Did you not think it’d be hard for me? That I could just somehow deal with everything?”

“Well, you never said anything. And you always said you were okay when I asked.”

Nico just shakes his head. “Well, I wasn’t okay.” And then he’s done talking. Because he’s no longer angry. He’s just overwhelmed. Every feeling he’s been holding back over the past year rushes into him. He rushes into his room, unsure where to go. There isn’t anyone to run to, no one to call. No one else would understand him.

“Nico?” Will. He’d forgotten about Will. “Nico, hey, it’s okay.”

Nico feels a blanket being wrapped around him, and then arms are there. He realizes he’s being held. Will’s talking to him, but Nico isn’t listening. He’s breathing hard, his vision is fuzzy. He just wants to die, to disappear. To be gone forever.

“Nico, hey, listen to me. Breathe, please. In. And out.” Will’s taking his hand, pressing it against something flat. Nico feels a heartbeat. “Can you feel that? Breathe with me.” Nico’s not sure if he’s doing it or not, but he’s trying. He sucks in air when he feels Will’s chest go up, releases it when Will’s chest goes down. “Yeah. Good job. Keep going. In. And out.”

Nico doesn’t know how long he does that, but he finds himself looking into Will’s blue eyes. “You okay?” Will asks, eyes concerned. And then Nico is crying. Because it hurts so much. Because Bianca is gone. His mom is gone. He’s pushed his friends away. His dad is distant. Because Will is being so nice to him. Because he doesn’t deserve any of it.

Distantly, he realizes he’s a mess. He also realizes that Will is humming, brushing his fingers through Nico’s hair. And it feels so good to be touched, to have someone care for him. So he lets Will hold him and wipe his nose and brush his hair. Everything hurts, but Will’s okay. And maybe Nico wants to be okay, too.  
-  
Will’s not sure what to think. Nico hadn’t talked to him since he’d broken down and then fallen asleep yesterday. They hadn’t said anything this morning when Nico skipped school to sleep in. They hadn’t said anything when Will had brought Nico a bowl of cereal. They hadn’t said anything when Will had accidentally walked in on Nico getting out of the shower.

Now, they were sitting on Nico’s couch, playing video games. Will was losing badly because he kept glancing over at Nico. He didn’t want to be annoying or pry, but he wanted to make sure Nico was okay. He’d never seen someone break down so thoroughly before. Honestly, it had really scared him. Because he’d started to understand why Nico might want to disappear. And he really didn’t want that to happen.

Will berates himself. There are a few rules to being a genie. Number one: he’s not allowed to let anyone in his lamp. Number two: he’s not allowed to use any loopholes. Number three: he’s not allowed to have attachments. Because the minute three wishes are made, he’s gone.

“I owe you an explanation,” Nico says as he defeats Will’s character for the hundredth time today.

“You don’t owe me anything,” Will says. “I helped you because I wanted to.”

Nico shakes his head. “My mom and sister died two years ago, and then my father stopped talking to me. I kind of thought it was my fault, so I decided, I guess, that I wasn’t worth anything.” He shrugs.

“It’s not your fault,” Will says. He’s not sure how they’d died, but he knows it’s not Nico’s fault. He’s seen death once or twice. Sometimes it just happened. “And you shouldn’t blame yourself for any part of it.”

Nico shrugs. “So that’s why I’m so messed up. And why I want to disappear. Because I can’t keep living while they’re dead.” He pauses. “And don’t tell me that they would want me to live. You don’t know.”

Will doesn’t speak for a while.

“I can’t convince you to live,” Will says finally. “But I can tell you that disappearing feels like nothing. And I hate that feeling. Because every time I disappear, I wonder if I’m ever coming back. And I don’t know who I am when I’m gone. But when I’m here, with you or with other people, I feel alive. Because I feel things.”

Nico nods slowly.

“And they aren’t all good things either. Sometimes I feel not good things. Like hurt or anger or sadness. But that just makes me happy feel that much better.” Will pauses, looking at Nico. Nico doesn’t say anything. “But you can’t just choose what you feel. If you want to feel, you have to feel all of it. And sometimes it sucks, but sometimes it doesn’t.” Will draws in a long breath.

“I guess,” Nico says finally. “But that doesn’t make this better.”

Will sighs. “Can I scoot closer?” Nico looks at him funny before nodding. Will scoots so that he’s right next to Nico. “I know. I wish I could make it better but rules and such.” Nico nods. Will chances laying his head on Nico’s shoulder. “I made a deal, Nico. And if you still want that, I promised I’d make it happen.”

“I know.”

“I just wish I could bring them back. Or make the hurt disappear. Make your father or your friends understand.” Will sighs. He doesn’t think he’s ever felt this before, this kind of sadness before. He’s been sad, but this is different. This kind of sadness makes him want to break the rules, makes him want to scream, makes him wish he could promise Nico a happy life. But he can’t, and he doesn’t know what else to do.

“Don’t be sad, Will. The deal lasts for three more days.”  
-  
It’s the last day of their deal, and Nico’s letting Will decide what they do that day. He was going to skip school, but Will just rolled his eyes and told Nico not to be late. Nico had to admit, things were better with Will around. He had someone to talk to and keep him company. But that was Will’s job. He was just doing all of this because he didn’t want to grant Nico’s wish.

“Have you decided?” Nico asks. Will’s laying on his back on Nico’s floor. Nico’s not sure what Will’s doing, but he doesn’t ask.

“There’s just so much to do. I don’t know if we can get it all in today,” Will says.

“I could have skipped school.” Will frowns, shaking his head. “Besides, how much could there be to do?”

“You’ll just have to see,” Will says, winking.

Nico thought they were going to dinner. But no. He was very wrong. He wasn’t sure how they’d ended up the county fair, but here they were. Will laughs, his eyes wide as he just stares at the booths and the rides.

“Is that a Ferris wheel? I’ve always wanted to go on one!” And Nico’s kind of terrified of heights, but he decides he’ll suck it up just once for Will. He had let Will decide. Figures he’d want to do something so death-defying. They get their tickets, and Will talks his ear off as they wait in line. By the time they’re being loaded onto the ride, Will’s got a county fair bucket list.

“It’s getting kind of high, Nico,” Will says. He’s scooting closer to Nico, peering nervously over the edge. Nico would roll his eyes if he weren’t having the same thought. Will latches onto Nico’s arm. “Protect me, Nico. I regret this decision fully. Get me off of this thing!” And despite being really creeped out that everyone below them looks like ants, Nico laughs.

“Don’t laugh at my pain,” Will gasps. After ten tortuous minutes, the ride ends, and Nico almost thinks that Will’s going to kiss the ground. He’s got half a mind to do so.

The rest of the fair isn’t as eventful. They play games. Will wins a rubber ducky. They get food. Will falls in love with funnel cakes. Will gets his face painted. They take photos in the photo booth. Will talks to almost every horse they pass (which is almost twenty horses).

They finally leave when Nico complains about his legs and feet aching.

“One more thing planned,” Will says. “Well, technically two things.”

And then they’re in the park. Somehow Will’s set up a picnic. It’s the classic red and white checkered blanket, the oversized picnic basket, battery-powered candles. Nico smiles.  
“It’s not a date. I think this is something friends can do?” Nico smiles. He likes the sound of being Will’s friend.

“Friends can have picnics,” Nico assures him. Will smiles.

Will’s packed peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and sliced strawberries, two of his favorite foods. He’s also brought another blanket because it’s kind of cold outside. As the stars start to come out, Nico finds himself scooting closer to Will.

“Where are the stars?” Will groans.

Nico laughs. “We’re kind of in the city, Will. Light pollution and all that.” Will pouts.

“No fair. We should move somewhere far, far away. With no light pollution.” He pauses, his eyes widening. “Not that we should move anywhere together. I’m just saying. For better stargazing. I even memorized, like, three constellations.” Nico smiles.

“I know, Will.”

Will settles onto his back, staring at the light-polluted sky. This is their last day, Nico thinks. Tomorrow, he’ll make his wish, and this will all be gone. Well, he’ll be gone. Same difference. Except, the weird thing is, he’s not sure he wants to leave. Because hanging out with Will has helped him see things in a new light. And he remembers how scared Will had been that night he’d broken down. Was there a chance that his friends would feel that way or worse? He hadn’t talked to them in so long, he wasn’t even sure.

“Hey, Will?” Will doesn’t move, and his eyes are shut. He’s asleep, Nico thinks. He’ll let him sleep. Then Nico is pulling out his phone and dialing Reyna.

“Nico?” Pause. “Are you okay? I can come over. Or we can just talk.” Another pause. “Sorry. I won’t smother.” Nico smiles. It’s the same old Reyna.

“I’m okay. I think. I just wanted to talk, maybe.” He pauses. He’s not sure how to say it. He’s kept everything inside so long that he’s not sure how to not keep it inside.

“Nico, are you still there?” Nico hums into the phone. “Just checking. I’ve really missed you.”

“I know, Reyna. Me, too.”  
-  
When Will wakes up, he kind of wants to cry. Because when Nico wakes up, he’ll ask Will to make him disappear. And then Will will lose one of the only friends he’s ever had. And he’ll have no chance of ever seeing him again. (And Will knows this is selfish, but sometimes he just wants something for himself.)

He’s letting Nico sleep in today. They’d stayed up late last night, and he wasn’t ready to let Nico go. Will had cried himself to sleep last night, the first time he can ever remember doing that. He’s woken up to Nico’s back to him, the occasional snore.

He doesn’t know how long he lays there until Nico rolls over, rubs his eyes, yawns.

“You let me sleep in,” Nico says. Will nods. He doesn’t trust him to speak. “Hey, what’s wrong?” Will shakes his head. Nico frowns.

“No, you can’t do that. Just pretend that you don’t have feelings. After you lectured me.” His face softens. “You can tell me, Will.”

“I’m going to miss you, Nico,” Will breathes out. Nico blinks at him, surprised.

“I’ve decided my three wishes,” Nico says softly. Will nods. “I talked to Reyna last night. After you fell asleep. She helped me come up with them.”

“Yeah?” Will asks.

Nico nods, a small smile on his face. “I’ve decided to give life another chance. Try a little harder this time.” Will can’t express how relieved he feels. But then he sobers. Because Nico is making his wishes, and then Will will disappear.

“I realized that I can’t shut out my friends. They were hurting, too. And I didn’t think about that. Which was really selfish of me. So I want to do something for them.” Will nods. He’s not sure where this is leading. “So, I have three friends.”

“What about your dad?” Nico shakes his head.

“I have to do that myself. No magic.” He gives Will a dry look, but Will’s proud of him. “So, I’m just going to list my wishes. And then make them. Just to make sure.” Will nods.

“I want to make sure Reyna has enough money to get into whatever college she wants. And Jason has always wanted to travel the world, so I want to help him with that.” Will nods, waiting for Nico to go on. He doesn’t.

“That’s two wishes,” Will says. “Easily done.”

Nico nods, suddenly looking unsure. “The third one is for you. If you want.” Will frowns, not quite sure he’s heard right. “You said you always wanted to be human. I can wish for that. And then you could stay my friend and meet new friends. And have ice cream whenever you wanted.” Nico’s still talking, but Will’s mind isn’t comprehending.

“You’d use a wish on me?” he asks. Nico nods.

“If you wanted.”

“What about you? No wishes for you to get into college or travel the world?” Nico shakes his head. Will nods slowly.

“If you aren’t going to regret it, I’d love to be your friend, Nico.”  
-  
Nico wasn’t honestly sure how it was going to turn out. It’s been three months since he’s made his wishes. Will’s magic worked in mysterious ways, but the wishes had all come true. Reyna had won a bunch of scholarships, and Jason had suddenly inherited a lot of money from some long-lost relative.

And Will. Will had moved across the hall from Nico, into a spare bedroom. Since becoming human hadn’t granted him a family, Nico and his friends had adopted him. Will enrolled himself in school, picking back up from wherever he’d left off all those years ago. They had had to limit his ice cream intake since his human body didn’t have a magical metabolism, which Will mourned for days.

He’d started talking to his father, too. Suddenly having a classmate move in with you was a good conversation starter. At first, his father had been confused, then angry, then reluctant. Nico had finally convinced his father when he and Will had met. Will had charmed all of Nico’s friends, and now he charmed Nico’s father.

But things were good. They weren’t perfect. Nico still had days when he didn’t want to get out of bed or eat or talk to anyone. He still sometimes cried himself to sleep or blamed himself. But he wasn’t alone anymore, and he never wanted to be again. And sometimes days were good, and sometimes they were bad. But it didn’t matter, because he’d get through them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was kind of hard to write, just because I was worried that I'd get something wrong or offend someone. (If I do/did, please let me know.) There are so many layers to depression, and not everyone experiences it the same way. Your feelings are valid. But suicide or just numbing yourself is not the answer. Your life is precious, and every breath you breathe is worth something.
> 
> If you ever need to talk, I'm here. :)
> 
> Also, I really tried to make it so that Will didn't magically heal Nico just because he was there and whatnot. So I hope it didn't come across that way.
> 
>  
> 
> Comments are appreciated. :)


	6. uncle nico

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Will watch Hazel's kid for the day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been told "zio" means uncle in Italian. If not, please correct me.

Nico was exhausted. Ollie wasn’t. Which was the problem Nico just wants to flop down on the couch and sleep for days. Ollie has other ideas. They’re currently playing hide-and-go-seek. It was Nico’s idea after playing tag in the house was ruled out as a bad idea. Playing ball inside the house had also been ruled out. As well as painting and drawing and coloring once Ollie decided that he was done with all of that. Nico had never hated rainy days more.

So now Ollie was hiding somewhere in Nico and Will’s small apartment, and Nico was almost too exhausted to even try and find him. He was sure Ollie would be okay if he just let him hide for a few more minutes . . . or hours. Ollie would probably fall asleep. Then they could both be taking naps. And all would be good.

Except. “Zio!” comes the squeal of a child that wasn’t even a bit tired. What the heck had Hazel fed him for breakfast? “Come and find me!”

Nico groans, getting up. He was trying his best to both entertain Ollie and keep him quiet. Will had had a late shift last night, and he was still sleeping. And Nico had been planning on a quiet morning with his boyfriend until Hazel had shown up at his door with a bright smile on her face. Then he’d remembered that short conversation just a week ago where he’d agreed to watch his nephew while Hazel took Frank to the doctors for a check-up.

“Where could Ollie be?” Nico asks. He actually doesn’t know where Ollie is, but his voice hadn’t sounded far away. Of course, in the small apartment, nothing was really that far away. Nico looks underneath the kitchen table, behind the doors, in the bathtub. He could hear Ollie giggling.

“You found a good spot, Ollie,” Nico says. He checks underneath the blanket on the couch, even though he was just lying there while he counted. He checked behind the potted plant by the porch. He even checked on the porch, though the door was locked. He ventures into their shared office. Technically, it wasn’t out of bounds.

Will’s desk is piled with books, but there’s no Ollie. Nico checks around his desk, moving the trash bins to see if Ollie had somehow hidden behind them. He checks behind the door, the curtains. He hears another giggle. He sighs. The bedroom door is cracked just a little.

Nico tiptoes into the bedroom, surprised to find Will awake. Kind of. Will was blinking slowly in the way that meant he’d just woken up. His hair was tousled, sticking up in places. Nico smiles, kissing Will on the cheek.

“You haven’t seen Ollie, have you?” He’s sure Ollie’s in their room.

“Nope,” Will says, grinning. “Haven’t seen him at all.”

There’s another giggle as Will yawns. Nico starts narrating where he’s looking. He’s sure that Ollie’s in their closet. The little boy liked hiding in there sometimes, always knowing how to move the clothes around so he couldn’t be seen. So Nico checks underneath the bed first, behind the door, behind the curtains. Then he flings the closet doors open. He hears a muffled giggle.

“I think I’ve found you!” Nico whispers. He starts parting the clothes, smiling when he sees Ollie’s foot sticking out from underneath an old sweatshirt. “Got you!” He tickles Ollie’s toes, earning a peal of laughter.

“You can’t see me!” Ollie manages between laughs. Nico moves away the rest of the clothes, his fingers moving to tickle at Ollie’s belly.

“I found you, Ollie!” He picks his nephew up, dropping him lightly onto the bed.

“Uncle Will! Help me!” Ollie laughs, trying to seek haven from Nico’s tickling in Will’s arms. “Oh no!” Ollie squeals as Will starts tickling him, too. He laughs until his face is red, and then he turns around and tries to tickle Will. Will, for his part, lets out a stream of laughter, rolling over and trying to curl away from Ollie’s fingers.

“No, not the tickle monster!” Will cries. Nico smiles. He always knew Will would be good with kids. Will jumps out of the bed, running down the hall. Ollie chases after him, laughing. It was cute watching Will trying to run from a little four-year-old.

“Nico! He’s got me! Come save me!” This is followed by more laughter. When Nico finally manages to save Will, they’re all sore from laughing so much. Will’s laying on the floor, Ollie on his legs. Nico’s on the couch. He leans down and kisses Will, then Ollie.

“I’m hungry,” Will says.

“Me, too,” Ollie says.

“I got the message,” Nico says. Will grins.

“I love you, Nico.” Nico rolls his eyes, letting Will kiss him before he gets up. Ollie stands up with him, gripping Nico’s legs.

“And I love you, too, Zio! And Uncle Will!”

Nico makes sandwiches for lunch. It’s simple and easy, and he never realized how hard it was to feed two growing boys. Well, technically Ollie was the only one growing. But Will ate his fair share as well.

Nico yawns, definitely exhausted now. The morning had been fun, but kids were sometimes hard to entertain. They’d have to do this another time when it wasn’t pouring outside and Will wasn’t worried that they’d all get sick from splashing in the puddles.

“Need a nap?” Will asks softly. Nico nods, resting his head on Will’s shoulder. Ollie was making a potato chip fort. “I’ll watch him if you want to rest.”

“Yeah?” Nico asks. Really, he wants to take a nap with Will. But he can’t do that until Hazel comes back to pick up her son.

“Yeah. Go on. It looks like he’ll be wanting a nap, too.”

Ollie had given up on his fort in favor of resting face-first on the table. Will laughs softly, gently picking Ollie up. “Sleepy,” the little boy mumbles. Will kisses his forehead, humming as he carries Ollie to the bedroom. Nico was glad Ollie was calm enough to sleep in their bed with just a few precautions.

Will sets Ollie down in the center of the bed, pulling the covers up. Nico lays a few pillows along the edge of the bed just in case Ollie rolled around. It wasn’t likely, but Nico wasn’t going to be in charge of any injury that befell his nephew. Will keeps humming until they’re out of the room.“Now for you, baby,” Will says looking at Nico. Nico yelps as Will picks him up, carrying him to the couch. If Nico weren’t so tired, he’d grumble something about him getting the couch while Ollie got the bed. The things he did for love.

Will’s humming again as he pulls a soft blanket over Nico. He leans down, kissing Nico’s forehead softly. “Sweet dreams, Nico.”

When Nico wakes up again, it’s late afternoon. For a moment, he panics, thinking that he overslept and that Ollie was getting into something he shouldn’t. He sees Will asleep in the recliner, a book open on his lap. Nico gently shook Will’s arm, feeling bad that he was waking him up. Will needed sleep from all fo the late nights he’d been working.

“Baby? Something wrong?”

“Where’s Ollie?” Nico asks.

“Hazel came to pick him up a little while ago. He’s all good. No worries.” Will yawns, pulling Nico closer to him. He was clingy when he was sleepy. “Shall we move into the bedroom?” Will winks, but the effect is broken when he yawns again.

“Sure, Will,” Nico laughs. He practically carries Will into their bedroom, pulling the covers over the both of them.

“Hey, Nico?” Nico hums. “Have you ever thought of having kids?”

Nico nods. “Yeah. You?” Will hums, eyes falling closed.

“Someday. For now, I just want to sleep.”

Nico smiles. Someday it’d be nice to build their small family, to have kids. But for now, this was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated :)


	7. puppy love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico and Will get a puppy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little something for (a belated) lunar new year :)

Will’s looking at Nico with giant puppy-dog eyes, and once again, Nico can’t find the heart to say no. He sighs, checks his dignity. He can’t believe he’s fallen so helplessly in love with this blond-haired, blue-eyed man. Honestly, it’s a good thing they’d decided to wait so long before adopting or else Nico’s reputation and composure would have instantly crumbled. Because there’s almost nothing more adorable than watching Will in a room full of puppies.

They’d decided as their anniversary gift to each other that they’d put off presents and fancy dates in favor of getting a dog. Will had been on Nico for some time about adopting a puppy or a cat or a bunny (or just anything that was cute and fluffy), but Nico had been firm in his opinion that animals were just expensive and would clutter up their home. He’d seen firsthand the amount of damage a dog could do a carpet or a rug or a couch. It’d taken them three years to finally complete their home, and they were going to enjoy it now.

Of course, it’d taken exactly two minutes once Nico had stepped inside the shelter to realize how stupid he’d been. Because how could you say no to such cute little faces? (Nico had finally broken down when Will had slid a binder full of articles and how-to’s and even a budgeting plan across the breakfast table one morning.)

So now they were at a puppy shelter about to get their first dog.

“This one likes me the best,” Will says. It’s a tiny fluff ball that Nico’s sure will leave hair all over the house. There’s a tiny bit of drool hanging from the dog’s chin that Nico’s also not so sure about. Why couldn’t Will want a poodle or a labradoodle? They didn’t shed.

“Pet him,” Will says. Even though Will’s grinning like it’s his birthday, the words come out like a command. Like once Nico touches the dog, he’ll fall instantly in love. Nico’s not sure his heart works that way. (Will’s surely does.) But Nico reaches out to pet the dog’s (admittedly soft) head. The dog wiggles its body, licking at Nico’s fingers.

“He’s soft,” Nico offers up.

“He also likes you.” Will grins at the dog, nuzzling his nose against the dog’s. “Want to come home with us? We have a nice backyard and a soft bed and clean windows.” Will keeps listing things he’s sure the dog will like as Nico glances around the room. There are four other dogs, but none of them seem particularly interested in Will or Nico. They’re either playing with a friend or sleeping.

“This the one?” Nico asks as the dog wiggles his way into Nico’s lap. Nico scratches the dog’s ears, placing a gentle kiss on the dog’s head. The dog lets out a small little bark, its tail wagging. Nico smiles. The dog is pretty cute.

“Yeah. I think so.” Will looks at Nico, and Nico knows that he can say no. Except, he can’t. Because just like Will, this dog has found some way to worm itself into Nico’s heart.

Then they’re swept into the flurry of first-time parenthood. There are forms to be signed and things to be bought and how the heck did Will convince Nico this was going to be fun?

Two hours later, they’re laying on their couch. Daisy, as Will had named their new family member, was curled up on Will’s lap. She was absolutely tired out from the day they’d had. Nico felt a kinship there. He’d made Will carry most of the stuff into the house as he was just too tired to really move a muscle.

Will had gotten the stuff placed around the house. Daisy’s bed was in their room. Her food and water bowls were in the kitchen. Her leash was by the door. Her dog food was in the pantry, the door shut. They’d gotten her a ball and a bone, which were in a basket in their closet. Tomorrow they’d have to make a vet appointment.

Daisy shifts in Will’s lap, her collar jingling softly. Nico had gotten to pick out the collar. He’s gone for a soft blue with white flowers. Will had grinned when Nico had shown him. Now, Will’s fingers were absently combing through Daisy’s fur.

“You’re not going to hoard the dog and neglect me, are you?” Nico asks. He’s teasing, and judging by the smirk on Will’s face, Will knows.

“Maybe. You were really against getting her. And now she’s grown on you. Would be the perfect punishment. That she’d like me more than you.” Nico laughs. “She could be swayed easily. I could take her with me on my morning walks and sit out on the porch with her.”

“Yeah, but I’d be the one to cuddle her in the morning when you leave so early. And I’d play with her when you’re on long shifts.” Nico reaches over to pet Daisy’s head. She wiggles so that she’s perfectly centered on their laps.

Will grins. “I knew getting a dog was a great idea,” Will says softly. He’s still smirking, even as he kisses Nico. “And she’ll never replace you. We’ll raise her equally as the best parents ever.” Nico laughs softly. He knows Will would be a great dad, if they ever decided to adopt human children.

“I’m still blaming you, though, if she chews up my slippers.” Will laughs.

“Maybe we should get her a pair, too. Then she won’t feel so jealous.”

Nico levels his gaze on Will. “We’re not dressing our dog. We’re not going to be those people.” But even as he says this, he’s imagining Daisy in his slippers, and he has to admit, it’s pretty cute.

“She’s going to be the best dog ever,” Will says. Nico laughs.

“Yeah?” he asks.“Of course,” Will says. “Tomorrow starts potty-training and learning how to sit. And all of the other basics. But she’s smart. She’ll learn quickly.” Nico nods. He’s not so sure about that, but he’s willing to trust Will.

“If you say so, Will.”

“I say so, Nico,” Will returns. ‘She’s going to be the best dog because she has the best parents.” Will grins, leaning over Daisy to kiss Nico. After a few seconds, Nico feels something wet on his chin.

“Ew! Gross.” Will’s laughing. Daisy’s awake and wiggling around on the couch, tail wagging. Nico wipes at his chin.“She got jealous,” Will says shrugging.

Nico shakes his head. “Daisy, you have to wait your turn,” he says. Daisy barks, jumping up to lick at Nico’s face again. Will’s laughing, jumping up from the couch. Daisy follows, barking and wagging as Will leads her outside. Nico smiles at the two of them.

Maybe he won’t get his clean house, but this is so much better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated :)
> 
> (and I'm still taking prompts, if there are any out there :))


	8. to live is to love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico can see the dates of people's death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: brief mentions of suicide, talk of death, minor blood/injury
> 
> that being said, this does have a happy ending :)
> 
> also, this is kind of long

Nico’s surrounded by death.

When he was little, he’d sometimes see numbers appear over people. They were small, just floating an inch or so above one’s head. They weren’t always there, usually only appearing when Nico zoned out or focused really hard. To his knowledge, no one else could see them.

He’d mentioned it to his mama once, pointed just above her head where the numbers had just been. She’d frowned, running her hand over his forehead. She’d checked his temperature every hour that night, giving him some medicine just in case. The next day, they’d visited the doctor. When asked, Nico said he didn’t see any numbers. Because he didn’t. He only saw them sometimes. The doctor had shrugged; his mama’s face had colored. Nico stopped talking about the numbers. They didn’t make sense anyway.

When Nico was six, his sister died. It’d been too sunny of a day for something like death. The sky had been a bright blue, the air humming with life. He didn’t see it, but the memory still clung to him. When he closed his eyes, he could see it. The numbers counting down before disappearing. He was only six, but he thought, maybe, it meant something.

When Nico was ten, his mother died. Mama’s death was the complete opposite of Bianca’s. It was long and drawn out and relieving when she’d finally closed her eyes. Nico held her hand the entire time, mouthing the countdown. By age ten, he was sure what this countdown was. He’d seen it. In the four years since Bianca had passed to his mama’s passing, he had figured it out. But it didn’t stop Mama from dying in that over-sanitized hospital bed.

Now, Nico was twenty. He’d figured out the rules of life, figured out how to survive. He knew the math, knew which people to avoid, which were okay to talk to. He didn’t mean to be rude about it; he’d just had enough death in his life to know when to get out. He also knew he could almost cheat death. He’d stopped his father’s suicide after all, though it hadn’t stopped him from dying of grief all the same. (Cheating death only added time. It was never a permanent fix.)

(It was funny how he never saw his own death date, even when he was at his darkest moments and wanted to know just how much longer. Sure, he knew he could probably take matters into his own hands, but that somehow felt like cheating.)  
-  
College was kind of boring. Nico wasn’t sure that was everyone’s experience, but it was his. Boring, mundane, routine. (It was probably his fault, but he had his reasons. Reasons not to change the way he lived his life. It’s taken him over ten years to build these walls, and they weren’t going to fall anytime soon.)

Nico grumbles when his alarm goes off. He’d been unfortunate enough to get an early class this semester, and he still had yet to get used to it. It was still only a week into the new semester, and Nico didn’t want to test the professor until later when his tired brain just couldn’t sit through a math class at nine-thirty in the morning.

Jason grins at him as he stumbles into the kitchen. They’d managed to get their own apartment this year, something Nico was very grateful for. As Jason makes him coffee, he sneaks a peek over the top of Jason’s head. It was habit by now, but he still felt relief every time he saw the large number. Jason still had at least sixty years to go.

“Nico?” Jason asks. He’s holding out Nico’s coffee mug. Nico blinks, reaching out to take the mug. “You good there? I know it’s early, but it’s not that early.”

Nico huffs. Jason’s earliest class was eleven. He just happened to naturally wake up around nine, so Nico had put him in charge of making him coffee. “I think anything before noon is early, Grace.” Jason grins. Nico hadn’t told him about the numbers, about the deaths. He hadn’t told anyone after his mama had taken him to the doctors. He wasn’t sure how people would react.

“Well, you’d better get going. It’s just past nine and traffic has been pretty crazy.” Nico wrinkles his nose. He hated traffic. It was too much just sitting around, which usually led to those annoying numbers popping up, which led Nico to automatically start the mental math. His brain was too tired to be doing extra math this morning.

Fortunately for him, the roads were relatively open, allowing him to arrive ten minutes before class started. Nico glances around, looking for the perfect spot. He’d tried to sit there on the first day, but some jerk had stolen it. Probably some on-campus jerk who didn’t have to sit in traffic and also find a parking spot.

Nico takes his seat, only having seconds to enjoy the rightness of it before someone is sitting next to him. Nico glances around the room. Less than half the class has arrived yet, leaving many open seats, well, open.

“Hey.” Nico looks at the person who’d just sat next to him. “I’m Will.”

Nico takes a long sip of his coffee. He’s kind of annoyed that someone has tried to engage in conversation with him this early in the morning. “Nico,” he finally grates out. It seems the least he could do. Will reminds Nico of a golden retriever or an angel or a god. He’s got blond hair and blue eyes and freckles. And it’s clear he’s a morning person if the lack of caffeinated beverage and bright, sunny smile is anything to go by.

“Nice to meet you,” Will says. He’s holding out his hand, and Nico knows he’s supposed to shake it, but those stupid numbers have just appeared over Will’s angelic curls, making Nico’s blood run cold. Nico curses his luck that the universe would strike down an Olympian god just barely in his prime.

“Yeah,” Nico says, effectively cutting off the conversation. Will looks disappointed, but Nico just turns back to his notebook. (It’s empty because he’d been too tired last time to take notes.) Will tries to make conversation a few more times throughout class, but Nico shuts him down. There’s no point in caring, he thinks. Will’s only got a year or so.  
-  
As it turns out, the Fates are cruel. Because apparently, Will’s in Jason’s humanities class. Which means that he and Jason are studying in Nico and Jason’s living room when Nico gets back from lunch one day.

“Oh, hey, Nico. There are some brownies on the counter if you want any. Piper was stress-baking again,” Jason says. Nico wonders what’s got Piper all stressed out in only the third week of the semester, but he decides not to ask. Piper was an amazing baker, and so he had no complaints.

“Nico? Hey.” And, of course, it’s Will. Will smiles at him, as he’s been doing every other day in math. Nico gives him a little wave and heads into the kitchen. He ignores Jason’s questioning look, tracking straight for his room once he’s gotten a few brownies. He hears Jason say something to Will, probably excusing Nico’s rude behavior. Nico sighs. There wasn’t a point in getting to know someone when they were going to die soon anyway. Even if they were tall and handsome and genuinely concerned for Nico’s well-being.

Will had made a point to bring a muffin or something to class when he could. At first, he’d insisted that Nico take it. But Nico couldn’t just accept the gift, death date or not. So they’d compromised. Will would eat half, Nico the other half. It was fairer that way, and Nico pretended that he didn’t look forward to seeing Will come in with a baked good or pastry in his hands, that burning smile on his face. But it didn’t matter. Nice or not, Will was going to die in less than a year. (Nico hadn’t worked out the complete math yet. He’d been too busy. Or lazy.)

So it continued that way. Will bringing in baked goods, Nico eating half. It was oddly intimate, sharing food with someone he hardly engaged with. Will tried to make light conversation. Depending on the morning, Nico would sometimes indulge himself in responding. When he did, Will would brighten even more, writing little conversational pieces in the margins of his paper. It was cute in a way that was annoying, and Nico wasn’t sure what to do about it.  
-  
“Hey, Jason?” Nico asks. Jason looks up. Nico had been watching him study for the past hour, and it was probably creeping him out. It was kind of creeping Nico out, how much he cared that he was about to divulge his greatest secret to his best friend.

“Yeah?” Jason closes his book, clearly reading that this conversation might last longer than most. “What’s up?”  
“So, um, there’s this thing. That I can do. Well, not do. I can see.” Jason’s forehead crinkles just a little bit, like he’s confused and probably concerned.

“Does this have something to do with Will?” Jason asks. Nico fights off the blush that’s threatening to appear.

He shrugs. “Kind of. But just hear me out.” Jason nods. “So I can see these things. Numbers, actually. That appear over people’s heads.” He pauses, making sure Jason is with him. “And I think they’re death dates or something.”

Jason opens his mouth a few times, closes it a few times. He takes a sip of his coffee. “So you know when people are going to die?” Nico nods. “Dude, that’s morbid.” Nico nods again.

“I mean, I guess. You believe me?”

Jason shrugs. “I mean, it’s not the craziest thing ever. Okay, it is. Kind of. But you seem serious, like you’re not just pulling my leg.” Jason stares at him for a minute. “No, I think I believe you. Or, at least want to believe you. It’s still kind of crazy, man.” Nico nods for the third time.

“That’s fine,” Nico says. He messes with picking at his nails, even though there’s nothing under them.

“So what’s this got to do with Will?” Jason asks slowly.

“He’s, uh, I think going to die soon?” Nico says. It’s a question because he’s waiting for Jason to prove him wrong. He wants Jason to call him crazy, take him to the doctor, lock him up. He doesn’t want to believe that he can see when someone’s going to die, like a countdown just over their head, just out of their reach.

“How soon?” Jason asks.“Sometime this year,” Nico says. Jason nods slowly.

“But you like him,” Jason adds. Nico shrugs. He’d rather not admit that he likes Will in the same sentence that’s just announced Will’s death. The guy had grown on Nico, even managing to figure out which pastry was Nico’s favorite merely by observation. Nico liked Will’s lame jokes, the way he’d mouth the words he was reading, the way his smile would brighten when Nico indulged him with conversation.

“It doesn’t matter,” Nico says.

“That sucks,” Jason says. They both nod. “I’m going to need more coffee.”  
-  
Nico had thought he’d been careful, had thought he’d inserted just enough morbidity, just enough snark, just enough something, that Will wouldn’t have a chance liking him. But here they were, Will clutching a small pink rose, Nico frozen in terror.

“This is probably kind of sudden,” Will says. He scratches the back of his head, a gesture that Nico’s learned meant nerves. “But I thought, why not just go for it, right?” Nico blinks back at him. “So, um, Nico would you like to go on a date with me?”

And Nico would love to go on a date with Will, would love to hold his hands and kiss him and hold him late at night (not that he’d fantasized about any of that cliché stuff). But Will was going to die. And then Nico would be left with a dead boyfriend and a broken heart and that stupid nagging voice that said he’d known it all along, why’d he bother?“Yes.” Nico’s too shocked at his own words to even pop a hand over his mouth or try to correct his answer. Will’s beaming, looking like Nico just kissed him or something (would Will like that?).

“Oh my goodness. I kind of thought you’d say no.” Will blushes, holding the rose out for Nico to take. Nico does, fingers automatically clamping down on the fragile stem. He hopes there aren’t any thorns. Or maybe he does so he can excuse himself quickly and scream into his pillow and work this out with Jason. “So, um, Friday? I can meet you at your place?” Nico nods, quickly spouting off his address. Will grins, looking like he’s going to implode from happiness. (Nico doubts he’s just made Will that happy, but Will sure looks that way.)  
-  
“It’s just a date, Nico. It’s not a marriage proposal.” It’d taken Nico two hours to calm himself down. Now he was lying on his bed, eyes carefully taking in the single pink rose in a water bottle on his desk. It looked too pretty to be in Nico’s room.

“Yeah. But-“

“Nope,” Jason says. “You’re going on a date, Nico. Just one date.” Which will turn into more, hopefully, Nico thinks before he can stop the thought.

“But he’s going to die,” Nico whispers. He’s yet to do the actual calculation to find out when Will’s death date is. He’s been too scared. (But not knowing is also scaring him.)

“And so are you,” Jason says. “People die all the time, Nico. You’ve just got to get out there and live.” Nico huffs. It was easier for Jason to say when he wasn’t constantly being bombarded with those stupid (heartbreaking) numbers. “Are you going to tell him?”

Nico shakes his head. He’d thought about that. He hadn’t decided if Will would freak out or just brush it off with that sunny smile of his. Will seemed invincible, immortal even. But Nico knew differently. “It’s not good first-date conversation. Besides, he wants to be a doctor. He’d probably insist that there’s a cure or something.”

Jason shrugs. “Maybe there’s a way to cheat the system.” Nico thinks back to when he’d stopped his father’s suicide. He’d managed to give his father a few extra days, but it didn’t stop him from dying in the end.

“Didn’t work with my father,” Nico grumbles. Jason’s eyes widen a bit. Nico never talked about his family. All of the happy memories had become bittersweet, the bitter ones sour, the sour ones reduced to ashes.

“Look. Just one date. You may not even like him that much,” Jason says. Nico nods. He could do this. Just because he went on a date with Will Solace didn’t mean he had to go on a second date. He could just say that the first date didn’t work out, that Will just wasn’t the kind of guy he was looking for. (Which was kind of true, one specific thing considered.)  
-  
Nico kept telling himself that every time he went on a date with Will. They were on their tenth date now, a relaxing walk downtown. The air was getting chillier, and Will’s hands were stuffed inside his pockets to keep them warm. His cheeks and nose had turned red from the cold, and he had a knit hat stuffed over his curls.

“I vote we find someplace warm,” Will says. He looks at Nico hopefully. Nico sees the flicker of the numbers, significantly smaller than last time, and nods.

They end up in a hole-in-the-wall cafe. It’s mainly empty. They get their drinks quickly, sitting in a corner. It’s farther away from the door and the cold. Will removes his hat, his curls sticking up all over the place. Nico resists the urge to smile. It was getting harder these days, countered only by the want to cry whenever he looked into Will’s blue eyes.

“You okay?” Will asks. Nico blinks, nods. “You just kind of zoned out there.”

“I’m fine. Just thinking.” Will nods. Over the weeks that they’d been dating, they’d become more familiar with each other’s emotions. Will was pretty easy, most of his written out across his face, knitted into every movement and gesture. Still, there were times when Will could hide his feelings. (Nico remembers one particular occasion, when he’d tried to break it off in an attempt to save his own heart. Will’s eyes had flashed with hurt that was quickly hidden behind a lopsided smile. Nico had quickly retraced his steps, finding that it hurt too much to try and break Will’s heart for his own.)

“Are you excited for Thanksgiving break?” Will asks. Nico shrugged. He wasn’t doing anything special. He was always invited to the Friends-giving that Jason and other friends put on, but it wasn’t like he had any family to go home to.

“It’s just another holiday to eat food,” Nico says.

Will grins. “And give thanks,” Will adds.“Which you’re supposed to do every day,” Nico counters.

Will shrugs. “Have any plans?” Nico shakes his head. He’d told Will the bare minimum about his family. He remembers Will’s blue eyes becoming watery as Nico had bluntly stated that he was pretty much an orphan because all of his family had died. Then Will had held him for almost an hour while Nico just sat there, the emptiness in his chest being slowly filled with something slightly less empty.

“You could come home with me,” Will says. He scratches his neck. “Mama’s been wanting to meet you. And my siblings, too.” On the opposite end of the spectrum, Will was far from being orphaned. He had a mom and at least five siblings and a cat. “I mean, if you want to. I’d be happy to introduce you and such.”

Nico finds himself nodding, smiling a little. He liked to think he had a choice, but with Will, he never really did. He wanted Will in a way he’d never wanted anyone else before. He tried to plan out what he was going to say, what he was going to do, how to keep that distance between them. But Will casually sidestepped every wall Nico put up.  
-  
Jason had almost spit out his coffee when Nico had informed him of his Thanksgiving plans. It wasn’t that Jason didn’t have faith in him, he was just surprised. But here, Nico was, standing in front of Will’s family’s house. It was slightly warmer than it was back at school.  
“Ready?” Will asks. He takes Nico’s hand, gently pulling him inside the house. Nico’s hit with the smell of baked goods and something spicy and maybe something else tangy. He isn’t sure.

“Will!” A woman Nico is sure is Will’s mom beams at them. She wraps Will in a hug, kissing his cheek. “You’ve grown, I think,” she says. “And you’re so skinny. Here, come. I’ve got food ready.”

“Mama, this is Nico,” Will says once his mom’s done fussing. Nico gives her a small wave, smiling a bit more when he sees the large number over her head.

“I am so happy to meet you. Call me Naomi. Will’s talked so much about you. You’re every bit as handsome as he said you were.” Will’s cheeks flush, and Nico grins. “Come, I’ve got food for you. How was your trip?”

They sit down at the counter, Will immediately making himself at home by shoving a muffin into his mouth. They’re blueberry, Nico’s favorite. Naomi makes conversation while she bustles around the kitchen. Nico’s slowly learning that this is the south, hospitality and warm exuding from every corner. It’s so different from his own childhood.

“Mama, I think we’re tired,” Will says after a few hours of conversation. “It was a long flight.” Nico would agree, merely for the sake of some quiet relaxation. Will laughs softly as he leads Nico up the stairs.

“We’re a little short on space at the moment,” Will says. “But since my brother isn’t going to be home this weekend, we’ve got our pick of beds. I don’t know which one you’d be more comfortable in. They’ve both got clean sheets and all that.” It takes Nico a moment to realize that he could sleep in Will’s bed. As much as he’d like to just pick that option, he doesn’t know if that’d be weird. So he shrugs.

Will smiles. “I’ll take Michael’s bed.” Nico nods. He sets his stuff down, gently sitting on Will’s bed. “You can take a nap if you want. The rest of the family should be arriving today and tomorrow. You’ll probably need your sleep.” Nico nods. He lays down underneath the covers. The bed doesn’t quite smell like Will, but that’s probably because Will hasn’t been home in a while. Still, there’s that faint scent of hand sanitizer and sunshine hanging in the room.  
-  
“A little crazy, huh?” Will asks. Nico nods. They’d finally settled around the giant table for Thanksgiving dinner. “It’s okay if you need to excuse yourself at any time. I know we can get a bit claustrophobic.” Nico smiles. Will’s family had been nothing but warm and hospitable, asking him about school and his hobbies. Nico had alternately checked all of their numbers. None of them were going to die within the year. Just Will.

The only big plan for the holidays was the big meal, so the family had been coming in and out all day. Will had smiled and hugged and made conversation. Nico had tried his best to follow. He was having a good time, and it was fun to see Will’s family, see where Will had come from and hear stories of Will’s childhood. But he couldn’t stop seeing the numbers. The moment they got back from break, Nico was going to sit down and calculate Will’s numbers.

“I’m okay,” Nico says. Will smiles. They hadn’t gotten as much alone-time as Nico had been hoping, but Thanksgiving was a family holiday, he supposed. “Just a lot to take in.” Will nods.

“You’re just lucky that my whole family couldn’t make it. Christmas is much crazier.” Nico laughs. He can’t imagine. Already, he’s met two of Will’s aunts, five of his cousins, three of his siblings, and one set of grandparents. He can’t imagine having more family.

“I don’t doubt that.” Will smiles, his eyes dropping to Nico’s lips for a moment before he turns to his food. Nico swallows. They hadn’t kissed yet, mostly because Nico was nervous about that. He’d kissed people before, but those hadn’t mattered. He’d kissed them for practice and for fun. He’d never kissed anyone because he’d cared.

Later that night, after most of the family has cleared out, Nico lays awake in bed. He’s thinking of Will’s smile, his laughter, his lips. Nico licks his own lips again before biting down on them. He hates himself for letting the thought stick in his head. He should have just dismissed it.

“Will?” Nico whispers. He hears Will turn over.

“Nico? Everything okay?” There’s a tone of sleepiness in Will’s voice, a roughness that makes his voice ever so slightly deeper. Nico resists the urge to just run over there and press their lips together.

“Yeah. I, um, was just thinking.” Will shifts again.

“About what? Wanna talk about it?” Does Nico want to talk about it?

“Can I come over there?” He can feel Will’s surprise before Will hums. Nico dashes over there, settling under the covers next to Will. They’ve never done this before. Sure, they’d cuddled and fallen asleep on the couch before, but they’d never slept together (in the most innocent way possible). Will’s arm settles over Nico’s waist, his breath coming out in warm, sugary puffs.

“You okay?” Nico hums. He feels better now.

“Yeah. Can I stay here?” He thinks he hears Will’s breath hitch, but he’s not sure. Then Will is snuggling closer to him, head dropping to Nico’s chest.

“Yeah. Stay,” Will mumbles. “Gods, your toes are cold.” Nico can’t help himself. He giggles. He rolls his eyes, moving his arm to rest on Will’s stomach. Kissing could wait for now.  
-  
Nico didn’t get to kiss Will until after Thanksgiving break. With family all around, it’d been hard to find a good moment. And being nestled in Will’s arms every night put Nico to sleep faster than any drug ever could. So, he’d just never gotten around to kissing Will.

But now, they were cuddled up on the couch, studying. It was something they did sometimes, just a way to be together without the pressure of having to plan a date. One of them provided the location, the other provided food. This time, they were in Nico’s apartment, Jason being at Piper’s place until late.

“You’re staring,” Will says. His voice is low and soft, and Nico blinks. Will smirks. “I mean, I know I’m handsome. It’s flattering.”

Nico rolls his eyes. “Yes, you’re my handsome boyfriend.” It still felt weird to say after all of these weeks. That Will was his boyfriend, that he was dating Will. Will blushes, his eyes darting down to Nico’s lips again. It’d been happening more recently, and Nico felt himself doing the same. Will’s lips were pretty, just like the rest of him. Pink and slightly chapped from the cold. Will sometimes chewed on his lower lip while studying, like he’d been doing when Nico was caught staring.

“I want to kiss you,” Nico blurts out. Will’s cheeks darken, almost hiding his freckles.

“Yeah?” Will asks. It’s not teasing or seductive. It’s nervous, like Will’s been wanting this, too, has been thinking about it. Nico nods. Will gives him a small smile. “May I?” Nico nods again as Will cups his face gently. Nico’s hands go to Will’s shoulders, sliding up his neck, into Will’s hair as Will presses his lips a little too firmly against Will’s. They break apart laughing.

“Here. Let me try.” This time Nico takes control. He goes slow, closing his eyes at the last second, just before their lips touch. He’d say it was magical, but any adjective worth describing the kiss required thinking. And all Nico could do was feel at the moment. Feel the way Will’s lips caught just a little on Nico’s, how both soft and kind of rough they were, how they seemed to perfectly fit over Nico’s.

“I think that was a lot better,” Will says when they break apart the second time. Nico rolls his eyes. He prided himself on knowing how to kiss, whether or not he chose to. “Again?” Will asks, this time a little teasing spark in his eyes.

“Definitely.”  
-  
Nico feels his heart shattering. Jason’s sitting next to him, checking over Nico’s math.

“I think that’s correct,” Jason says slowly. Nico keeps staring at the numbers, willing them to change. He’s sure they have changed, with how small they are. They get closer and closer to zero every day.

“So, he only has a week left?” Nico asks. Because he needs to make sure he’s not the only one seeing this, that he’s not just somehow making this up. That his heart isn’t breaking for no reason. That Will Solace isn’t going to die in a week. But he is. The numbers are right there, and they’ve never lied to him.

“What are you going to do?” Jason asks.

Nico shrugs. He’s never really thought he had a choice before. He’d never gotten this far before. He’d never given himself permission to have a choice.

“I either break up with him or pretend like nothing is going to happen,” Nico says. Jason nods, patting Nico’s back. It doesn’t make him feel better, but he knows however this goes, Jason will be there for him. “What would you do?”

“I would probably make this the best week of his life. You know, no regrets. You only live once, man.” And Nico knows that. He doesn’t know why he’s got to make the hard decisions. “But if it’s a consolation, you’re allowed to fall in love as many times as you want to.”

Nico doesn’t quite believe that. He’s always believed that life had a strict routine that they all had to follow somehow. But maybe he was fed up with that, with life telling him what to do. He didn’t want to fall in love again. He wanted to grow old with Will, fall in love with Will again and again.

“Okay,” Nico says. He’s done following the rules.  
-  
Will knew something was up, but he didn’t question it. Nico thanked whoever it was out there that they still had two weeks until finals. He didn’t need Will stressing out in his last days. That and it’d be so much harder to spoil Will if he was always studying and worrying about school. (It wasn’t like Nico could just tell him he was going to die before any of that mattered.)

Will’s death date was set for sometime on Wednesday. Today was Friday. Nico had made a plan. He’d already planned a present for each day, a little surprise for Will to look forward to. And this weekend, Jason was helping him plan a nice date. Then the rest of the week, Nico decided that his selfish little self was going to take advantage of every single drop of Will’s free time that he could.

“Hey, everything okay?” Will asks. “You’re not buttering me up for anything, right?”

Of course, he’s caught on. Will was smart. It was one of the things Nico loved about him. (Loved. He’d avoided ever using that word until just last night when he convinced himself he might as well. He hated, though, how it was already past-tense when Will was still alive. Stupid human language, always rushing things.)

“Nope. I’m just being an amazing boyfriend.” Will grins.

“You’re already an amazing boyfriend.” He pauses. “But you do know my birthday isn’t until June, right?” That sends a sting into Nico’s heart, that Will will never turn twenty-one. That Nico will eventually be older than Will.

“Yes. But with exams and all, I wanted to take this weekend to spoil you.” Will laughs.

“Can’t say no to that.” Good, Nico thinks. He wasn’t exactly asking for Will’s permission anyway. “So, what all have you got planned?”  
Nico smiles. He hasn’t quite worked out all of the details, but he does know Will’s a romantic who truly enjoys the clichés and the sappy details. Nico has taken a fondness to them, too, now that he can actually experience them.

“It’s a surprise, sunshine,” Nico says, the endearment just slipping out. Will blushed, smiling. Nico quite likes the effect. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

Will’s surprise that day is Jason’s absence, though Will doesn’t quite know that. They’ve gotten Chinese take-out and are cuddled up on the couch. There’s some movie on, but neither of them is really paying attention. Will’s arm is around Nico’s waist, and Nico’s back is pressed against Will’s chest. He’s wearing a sweater that Nico insisted on getting him, a light blue that brings out his eyes. Will had announced it his favorite sweater and wore it all the time.

Nico would be perfectly content to stay in Will’s arms for the rest of his life, but unfortunately, life seems to have an agenda, and Nico’s got to work around that. He tightens his hold on Will’s hands, resting just over Nico’s belly button. He’s not ready to let Will go yet.

“It’s going to be okay,” Will whispers, mouthing at the back of Nico’s neck. The touch sends shivers down Nico’s spine. “Talk to me, Nico,” Will says softly.

Will brushes his fingers up and down Nico’s back, rubbing in soothing circles, while Nico tries to figure out what to say. He’s decided that he’s not going to tell Will about the numbers. Will doesn’t deserve that burden.

“I just get scared sometimes,” Nico says softly. “Of losing you. Of falling in love. I’ve never really let myself do this before.” Will presses a kiss to Nico’s jawline before shifting so he can look at Nico.

“I haven’t really either. I mean, I’ve dated before, yeah. But it’s never been like this,” Will says. His voice is quiet, like he’s afraid of being heard, like they’re sharing secrets. And, maybe, in a way they are.

“What’s it like this time?” Nico asks. He has to know if Will is falling just like he is.

“It feels like falling,” Will says, cracking a lopsided smile. “Like I just missed the last step or something.” Nico nods. He understands that rush. It’s all happened so fast. “But it also feels kind of familiar. Like I’ve known you my whole life somehow. Like this isn’t a one-time thing, but that it’ll keep happening over and over.”

Nico’s not sure what to say to that. “Yeah?” Will smiles, those blue eyes so full of life. Nico smiles back, not quite trusting himself to speak. He’s sure if he tries, he’ll burst into tears. Will kisses his nose, his eyelids, his chin, before nudging back up to his lips.

“It’s scary for me, too, Nico. But you’re worth every bit of it.”

And then Nico does start crying. Because how can Will just say things like this? He can’t just profess his love for Nico when he’s going to be dying in the next week. And Nico’s never had someone love him like this, never let someone love him like this. He can’t believe he’s spent so long running away from it, even when he knows it’ll hurt like hell when it comes to a screeching halt. But maybe it’ll be worth it. Every tear and broken heart.  
-  
“Tell me you two didn’t consummate your love for each other on this couch,” Jason says. His eyebrows had skyrocketed towards his hairline when he’d walked in on them. Will’s blushing, and Nico’s pleased to learn that Will’s blushing extends to his shoulders and onto his chest.

“We are not going to tell you,” Nico says. It’s what Jason gets for so rudely waking them up. Will sits up, yawning. The blanket falls off of his shoulder, effectively showing the entire world Will’s bare chest. Nico had seen it last night, when the kissing had gone a bit farther, but here, in the daylight, it was something else. Nico finds himself smiling at Will, who just rests his head on Nico’s shoulder.

“You two are perfect for each other. But you do have a perfectly functioning bedroom just over there.” Jason huffs, heading into the kitchen, though there’s no official divide between the living room and kitchen. Jason can still see them.

Nico’s partially thankful for Jason’s crassness. It helps to keep him focused, not get too sucked into the whole thing that is Will. Still, he could do without his best friend asking about his sexual life.

“Jason’s just jealous that he doesn’t have an as amazing a boyfriend as you,” Will mumbles. He’s kissing down Nico’s shoulder, leaving him pretty much speechless. He sees Jason smirking at him. “Can we have pancakes for breakfast?” Will asks. “I’m hungry.”

Nico laughs. He’s decided to leave most of the weekend unplanned as he doesn’t want to feel rushed or overwhelmed. Pancakes sound like a nice plan. Nico drags Will into the kitchen. Will didn’t do late nights, as Nico had learned. He got the typical eight to nine hours of sleep recommended by doctors across the world. Nico was slightly jealous that Will could find such time in his schedule.

After breakfast, they lounge around playing video games and board games and card games until Jason brings home pizza and Piper. Nico can’t tell if it’s a good thing that Piper and Will get along so well. For one thing, it’s extra teasing and embarrassing stories. On the other hand, he’s just increased his friend group by fifty percent.

“I’ve heard so much about you, Will Solace,” Piper says. She’s grinning in that way that tells Nico she’ll be grilling Will for details. “It’s so nice to finally meet you.” She shoots Nico a look. “I kind of thought I’d have to hunt you down. Nico’s not good at sharing.” Nico pouts.

Will just laughs.  
-  
Nico’s planned dinner at this nice Italian restaurant. After four minutes of looking at the menu, Will sets it down.

“Can you just order for me?” Will asks. “I can’t tell what I’m reading.”

Nico smiles. “Of course, sunshine.” Will blushes. Nico didn’t speak a lot of Italian, but he could read and understand it pretty fluently. He still has a small bit of his accent left over, too, and he liked using it to fluster Will. “I know just what to get.”

They keep the conversation light as they eat. Tonight isn’t a night for heavy topics. It’s a night to just be themselves, two teenagers out on a date, spoiling themselves a little. Nico flicks a pea across the table when no one is looking. It bounces off of Will’s nose and rolls underneath another couple’s table. Will bursts out laughing, startling everyone around them.

After dinner, they walk out to the little river that runs through downtown. Will’s hand rests inside of Nico’s because it’s cold, and Will’s a baby when it comes to cold.

“If I didn’t know any better,” Will says, “I’d think you were going to propose now.” Nico chokes on his spit.

“Not tonight,” Nico says. Will grins.

“Sounds like it’s in the cards. Though, I’ll have you know. I have great expectations for being proposed to. I’m a very romantic guy.” Nico rolls his eyes.

“And why am I the one proposing?” Nico asks.

Will shrugs. “In this scenario, it’s because you just planned this entire weekend. I’ve got to spoil you somehow, you know.” Nico shrugs. “I know how I’d propose,” Will whispers.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. But it’s a surprise. Can’t ruin it.” Nico huffs. He doesn’t mention that Will probably won’t be able to propose to anyone, that he probably won’t even be able to plan a date in the time they have left.

“I think I could do better than you,” Nico says. In the dark, it’s harder to read expressions, harder to see those numbers above Will’s head. In the dark, Nico feels almost like anything could happen.

“I very much doubt that,” Will whispers. Nico doesn’t know when Will had gotten so close to his ear. Nico whirls around, surprising Will. He presses a kiss to Will’s lips before latching onto a spot just below Will’s jawline. Will’s breathing hitches, Will’s breath coming out in broken pants. Nico grins, pulling back. Will inhales the next breath.

“I guess we’ll just have to see.”  
-  
Nico still wasn’t prepared.

He’d considered skipping his Wednesday classes to trail Will around, watching for any spies or whatever had come to take him down. But Jason had convinced him that that was a bad idea. Will and Nico had plans to meet up for lunch, and Nico wasn’t honestly sure if there would be lunch.

Nico felt sick to his stomach. He wasn’t even sure how he’d made it out of bed and into the kitchen. Jason had taken one look at him and had steered him directly to the couch. He’d then emailed all of Nico’s professors to tell them that Nico wasn’t going to be in class due to a cold. Nico was pretty sure he’d somehow gotten the plague.

“Hey, Nico. Look at me. It’s going to be okay. Whatever happens, you’ll get through it.” Nico nods, but he doesn’t believe any of it. It hadn’t even happened yet, and he was falling apart. “You’re going to go to lunch with Will. Everything’s going to be okay.”

“You don’t think he’s going to die?” Nico asks. He’d thought Jason believed him.

“I don’t think he’s just going to get struck down. Maybe you can stop him from dying somehow,” Jason says. He offers Nico a small smile. “You just need to relax. Go get ready for lunch. I’ll drive you.”  
-  
Nico’s waiting outside the cafe when it happens. He sees Will across the street, the sign changing to the walking man. Will starts to walk across, and then there’s a car. The car. Nico’s mind blanks as he rushes towards Will. He’s going to save Will. He’s going to get there in time to push Will out of the way. He’s going-

“Nico!” And then he’s in so much pain he can barely think. It happens slowly, a bit of pain by a bit of pain. He’d kind of thought it’d happen all at once.

“Nico, gods,” he hears. There are people around him. He’s landed on something kind of soft. He glances down and almost throws up. Because Will’s dying, right in front of (and a little under) Nico. There’s blood and something sticking out where nothing should be and he’s not quite looking anywhere.

“Will,” Nico sobs. He’s not sure if he’s actually made noise or if it’s all in his head. He can’t think straight. There’s so much pain. He hears Will cough, choke. There’s another strange noise, sirens. Nico scrabbles to find Will’s hand. What a pair of idiots they must look like.

Nico’s last thought: blond hair, blue eyes, so full of life. The numbers have disappeared.  
-  
Nico’s awoke by some awful noise. He feels around his nightstand for his alarm clock, but the noise won’t shut off. He opens his eyes. Frowns. Is this his room? Is this heaven? If it is, it’s a pretty crappy heaven. It’s messy and cluttered and full of half-open boxes of food and dirty clothes.

It’s his phone that’s ringing.

“Hello?”

“Nico! Gods, you’re alive.” There’s some shuffling on the other end. Nico’s not quite following.

“Will?” he asks. Because it can’t be Will. Will died. Well, Nico also died. Right? “Will? Where are you?” And then he hears the front door of his apartment open. He barely has time to freak out that Will’s hung up before he’s enveloped in the most crushing hug of his lifetime.

“Nico,” Will sobs. Tears are soaking into Nico’s hair and his shirt, but he doesn’t care. Because Will’s here; Will’s alive. “I thought I’d lost you.” Will’s rambling now, crying and mumbling. Nico’s sure they’ll both need some therapy after this. He’s still not quite sure what happened, why everything happened this way. But he doesn’t care. Maybe this is his second chance.

“It’s okay, Will. I’m here,” Nico says because he needs to hear it as much as Will does.

Later they find matching scars across their stomachs and backs, some scabs across the back of their legs and arms. Nico’s hand cramps more than usual, and Will’s got to get his eyes checked. But somehow they’re alive. Nico doesn’t let Will go, even when Nico’s pretty sure he’ll explode because he hasn’t used the bathroom since before he got run over by a car.

“Nico, I love you,” Will mumbles, pressing kiss after kiss on Nico’s face. Nico lets him. His lips are sore and a little swollen from kissing and crying, repeat. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” Nico repeats it back, holding Will so tightly. He can’t believe he almost lost him.  
-  
Later, after they’ve both come to terms with their deaths and resurrection, they sit on Nico’s couch, Jason across from them. Nico explains what he knows, trying to see if either Jason or Will can make sense of what happened. Jason’s watching them carefully as if they’ll just collapse on him at any second. Nico’s holding Will’s hand so tightly, and Will’s not about to ask him to stop.  
“Maybe it was like true love’s sacrifice? Instead of true love’s kiss,” Jason suggests. “Like, because you tried to save him, but you didn’t. But you did. But you also died. And then didn’t.” Jason frowns before nodding. “Yeah. That makes a whole lot of sense.”

Nico sighs, shrugging.

“Well, however it worked out, please don’t go jumping in front of any more cars, Nico.” Will looks at him, those blue eyes boring into Nico’s brown ones. And Nico finds that he can’t promise Will that he won’t try to save his life again. Because there isn’t much that Nico would deny Will.

“Only if you promise not to go walking in front of any more cars, Will,” Nico says. Will huffs.

“Fine, deal,” Will says. “Because even though you’re stubborn, I love you.” Nico’s smirk twists into a smile, and he leans into Will’s embrace.

“You two are so cute,” Jason says. “Just don’t get cute all over that couch. I paid for half of it.”

“So, just on one half is okay?” Nico asks. Jason sighs.

“Whatever. Fine. Go crazy. I’m just happy to see you happy.” Nico smiles.

And he is happy. Because maybe he’d gotten it wrong all those years ago. Sure he was surrounded by death, but he was also surrounded by life. Everything was going to die eventually, so why not make it worthwhile?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated :)


	9. strings of fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate AU where a red string ties you to your soulmate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another soulmate au  
> again, kind of long

Red. The color of blood, of seductive lips, of fire.

Nico could think of exactly three times the color red had entered his life. Blood: his sister had died in the same crash that had taken the mobility of legs. Now he was forever bound to a wheelchair. Lips: lipstick the color of blood was smeared ever so tenderly on the lower edge of Percy’s lips. Nico told himself he’d never again fall in love with someone who wasn’t his soulmate. Fire: he hadn’t seen it this time. But that was when Hazel came into his life, curls still smelling of smoke that had killed her mom.

Soulmates. Nico’s sitting on the couch when he feels an annoying itch on his wrist. He scratches at it absently, finally looking at his skin when the itch won’t go away. He wastes about five to ten seconds in panic, wondering just how this is happening to him now.

“Frank!” he calls, his voice slipping into a mild panic.

“Yeah? What’s wrong?” Frank rushes out of the bathroom, hands still wet. Any other time Nico would be assessing the fact that Frank might not have washed his hands completely, but right now he didn’t care. Frank’s carefully lifting Nico into his wheelchair, strapping him safely in even as Nico’s powering it down the hall. They didn’t have time for safety when Nico had been waiting his whole life for this moment.

The stupid elevator takes forever as it always does, but their apartment building had yet to respond to Nico and Hazel and Frank’s requests to install a wheelchair ramp from the second to the first floor. (Nico felt too prideful to move to the first floor.) Then Nico’s frantically glancing at the ever-shortening red line on his wrist, the slackening of the pull on the string, as he propels himself across the street. And then it’s gone. Nico’s one connection to his soulmate is gone.

“Nico!” Frank huffs. Nico doesn’t pay attention to him. He’s looking at the people around him. He doesn’t quite know what he’s looking for, maybe another disappointed face? He doesn’t see anything. No one else is looking around. There’s an older lady walking her dog, a man eating a sandwich, a blond-haired boy running into a coffee shop. Nico sighs.

“I thought today would be the day, you know?” he says. He’d been secretly (maybe not as secretly as he hoped) excited about the prospect of a soulmate. Someone who you were bonded with for life, someone who would always be there for you, no matter what. He’d seen them in real life. His parents were soulmates. Jason and Piper were soulmates.

“You get more chances,” Frank says. Nico nods. He lets Frank push him back to the apartment. He doesn’t have the heart to maneuver himself. “Don’t worry, Nico. I bet they’re just as disappointed.” Nico nods. It’s sort of a comfort that his soulmate is probably just as upset that they missed Nico.

Back in the apartment, he challenges Frank to match after match of Mytho-magic until he can’t even remember the phantom itch of that red line on his wrist.  
-  
The best part of Will’s day is when the dark-haired boy comes in. Sometimes he’s alone; sometimes he’s got a friend or two with him. Will likes it best when he’s alone, which is most of the time. That way he can observe the soft smiles not meant for anyone’s eyes, the way that the boy captures the outside world in that sketchbook he always carries around, the faint accent when Will asks how he’s doing.

Will wanted to believe in soulmates. He wanted to believe that there was someone out there for him, that would love him and hold him late into the night. He wanted to believe that they were real, but he was skeptical. Did people really need their soulmates? Couldn’t they be perfectly happy with someone else?Will’s parents hadn’t been soulmates, and they were still happily married. Will’s brother had found his soulmate, only for his soulmate to die within the year, leaving him heartbroken and forever pledged to loneliness. Will, himself, had dated this girl once, only to be left alone when she’d chased her soulmate into oncoming traffic and died. If she’d stayed with him, she would have been safe. Will didn’t believe in that little red line, in the strings of fate, tying him to someone else in the world. Will believed in things he could see, the hard, concrete facts.

“The usual?” Will asks. The dark-haired boy had just come in. Will smiles at him, hoping for something back. The boy blushes, looking away. Will rings up his order. One of these days, he wants to write his number on the cup or something, but he’s not sure if this boy is one of those soulmate-believers.

“Nico,” the boy says. Will startles, almost adding an extra squirt of cream into the drink. “My name is Nico.” The boy blushes again, and Will wants to ask him for his number now.

“I’m Will. Nice to meet you.” The boy smiles, and Will thinks his cold, cynical heart is melting. Nico moves to his usual spot by the window, pulling out his drawing pad and pencils. Will likes the watch him work, likes the way that Nico’s brow crinkles when he’s shading in his sketches, the way he bites his lip when he’s frustrated.

“May I draw you?” Nico asks. Will hadn’t realized he’d been staring. He was supposed to be cleaning tables. Watching Nico was more fun. “I mean, if you don’t mind.”

Will shakes his head. “No, sure. Go ahead. What do you want me to do?” Will’s technically not on break, but he’s sure Reyna or Lou Ellen will cover for him. They both know of his crush on Nico, are both supportive in their own ways.

“You could just sit. Or, I mean, you’re working. So you could just keep working.” Nico’s voice is soft, silky almost. Will sits down across from Nico.

“Like this?” Will asks. He’s never modeled before, and he’s always had trouble sitting still for too long. He’s also not sure what he’s supposed to do with his hands. Should he hold a napkin? Rest his elbow on the table? Rest his head on his hand? Maybe he should just hide behind the counter until Nico leaves?

Will glances over at Nico to ask, but he’s disappeared behind his drawing pad. Will focuses on the way that Nico’s hair curls ever so slightly, the olive tone of his skin, the scent of something like vanilla that could be lotion. Will’s not sure if he’s allowed to fall in love with Nico, but he’s doing an awful job of stopping himself.

He doesn’t know how long he sits there, until his thigh has fallen asleep and he can’t stop jiggling his leg. Nico lets out a soft sigh, letting the drawing pad fall onto the table. Will knows he should be looking at the drawing, commenting on how good it is, how the line quality is amazing.

“Do you like it? It’s just a rough sketch, nothing too cleaned up,” Nico says. He seems nervous about showing Will, but there’s no reason for that. The sketch, drawing, masterpiece is amazing.“You even got my freckles,” Will says. Nico hums, rubbing his finger over the page a little to add some extra shading here. “It’s beautiful.”

Nico laughs. “I’m not sure if you’re complimenting me or yourself.” Will’s eyes widen.

“Definitely you. You’re beautiful. I mean, well, you are. That’s still not-“ Nico cuts him off.

“Thank you.” Will just nods. He doesn’t trust himself not to be less embarrassing. “I’ll see you later” Will nods again, waving stupidly as Nico leaves.  
-  
“So are you actually going to talk to me this time?” Hazel teases. Nico shrugs. He likes going to the little coffee shop because it’s quiet and cozy and relaxing. “Well, I guess I’ll bring my book.”

“You don’t have to come with me. I can handle myself.” Hazel smiles.

“I know. But I really need some coffee today, and Frank’s busy. And we haven’t had brother-sister time in forever.” Nico rolls his eyes, sighing.

“Fine. But I’m bringing my drawing pad. Don’t complain if I don’t respond to you.” Hazel sighs.

“The usual?” Will asks. Nico nods, looking at Hazel to order. She does, raising her eyebrows at Nico. Nico ignores her. There’s something odd about Will’s expression, like he’s smelled something bad or just choked on some coffee. Maybe he’s just having a bad day.

“So, who’s that?” Hazel asks. Nico takes his time setting out his drawing pad and pencils. The big windows offer good viewing of the streets outside and excellent lighting. He’s also thankful that they aren’t chalk-full of fingerprints and marks. Someone around here clearly prizes cleanliness, another reason why this place was the best.

“Here are your drinks,” Will says. He doesn’t look at Nico while he says this, and there is definitely not a smile on his face. “Enjoy.” Nico watches for a few moments as Will slides a fake smile onto his face when he delivers the next few orders. Nico’s not stupid. He knows when people have a problem with him.

“So, you’re not drawing or talking to me. I’m going to need more than his name as an explanation,” Hazel says. She pokes Nico’s shoulder, getting his attention. “Nico, what’s up? Remember me? Your sister?”

“Will’s acting weird,” Nico says.

“And so are you.” Nico huffs. He’s not acting weird. He’s doing the same thing he’s always done. He ordered his usual, sat down at his usual spot. The only thing different is Hazel.

Nico knows when he’s being treated differently. He’s seen it before, in various ways, because of his accent, because of his wheelchair, because of his size. And he hates it. He doesn’t understand why he’s got to be treated differently.

“Why’re you acting weird?” Nico asks. He’s moved up to the counter where Will’s absently cleaning. “Is it me?”

“Nothing’s wrong,” Will says. He’s still not looking at Nico, trailing his cloth uselessly up and down the surface. If anything, he’s making a bigger mess. “Today’s just not a good day.”

“Want to talk about it?” Nico asks. Will’s always been open. Nico’s heard him chatting with customers, laughing with his co-workers. He knows Will’s silence means something is up.

“Nothing to talk about,” Will says. “You don’t have to worry about me. Your girlfriend is probably getting jealous.” Will’s eyes flicker over to where Hazel is, and it clicks. Will’s jealous.

“She’s not my girlfriend. She’s my sister. Why does that even matter?” Nico asks. They live in a world of soulmates. Was Will his soulmate? He’d been here a million times, and that red line had never shown up. Will hadn’t even been there last year when Nico had almost gotten run over trying to find his soulmate. Why would Will care so much?

“It doesn’t,” Will says. Nico huffs.

“Fine.” Then he leaves because he refuses to be ignored when there’s something so obviously wrong. If Will doesn’t care, he shouldn’t either.  
-  
Two weeks. It takes two weeks for Nico to come back to the coffee shop. Will wondered if Nico had memorized his schedule so well that he was only coming in when Will wasn’t working. Reyna and Lou Ellen assured him that he wasn’t, though that didn’t make Will feel any better.

“The usual?” Will asks. He half expects Nico to yell at him or ignore him. Instead, Nico nods. “I’m, uh, sorry about last time. I didn’t mean to be so rude.”

“Want to talk about it?” Nico asks. He looks at Will, brown eyes so much richer than the coffee Will’s making.

“Um, yeah. If you don’t mind.” Nico shakes his head. Will carries Nico’s coffee over to the usual table, sitting down. “I just, um, maybe got jealous. That you’d found your soulmate, I guess.” He shrugs. He’s not sure how to say that he doesn’t believe in soulmates. Most people didn’t react well to that.

“No, she’s my sister. I don’t have a soulmate. Er, well, I haven’t found them yet. I guess everyone has one.” Will nods slowly.

“Right,” he says. He rubs his wrist. He’s only gotten that red line once, when he was running late to work. He hadn’t noticed it until it’d almost faded. “I just really like you, and so, I guess, I secretly hoped that you felt the same way about me.”

Nico nods slowly, biting his lip just slightly. “I would go on a date with you,” he says finally.“Yeah?” Will asks. He doesn’t want to get too hopeful just yet.“Yeah. I mean, we don’t have soulmates yet. It could be a while. Besides, I like you, too.” Will smiles, ignoring everything before Nico had said he’d liked Will. Because even though Nico believed in soulmates, Will was going to show him he was better than any soulmate he’d ever have.

“I’d ask you out for coffee, but that seems kind of lame.” He pauses. “Do you like video games? I know this arcade down the street.” Nico smiles. “I’m off on Friday. We can meet there.”“That sounds really nice.”

There’s still this nagging voice in the back of his mind, telling him that Nico’s too good to not find his soulmate soon. But the hopeful part of Will thinks that maybe it won’t matter. That maybe Nico will fall in love with him even with the red line telling him to do so.  
-  
Nico’s falling in love, and it’s weird. In a good way. It’s nothing like he expected, nothing like when he thought he’d liked Percy Jackson. This time, it’s slower, more confusing, better. He loves the way that Will sees the wheelchair but doesn’t try to make it the center of everything. He doesn’t try to make it disappear. They go to the arcade, dancing, to restaurants, on picnics. They even go on walks in the park.

Nico finds himself thinking that the sky reminds him of Will’s eyes, rather than Will’s eyes reflecting the sky. He finds himself thinking less of his soulmate every day. He’s been dating Will for two years now, and he’s only felt that itch once.

He was fixing lunch when he’d felt that itch. He immediately hurried to the elevator, out the front door, across the street again. He’d zoomed down the sidewalk, past the arcade, past the coffee shop. Then he’d turned around because the line had tightened at the last second. But it didn’t matter. The line had disappeared.

Will had seen him pass by, and Nico had never felt so guilty looking at Will’s smiling face. That he was chasing after his soulmate while he was perfectly happy with Will. It nagged him, the question everyone probably asked themselves at one point or another. Would he be just as happy with someone who wasn’t his soulmate? Nico thought about the way Will had just shut down before they’d even started dating. Soulmates weren’t something that they discussed. When you weren’t dating your soulmate, you didn’t talk about them.

Still, it’d only happened once, and Nico hoped that his soulmate was every bit as happy as he was.

He and Will were celebrating their second anniversary. Will had gotten them a reservation at Nico’s favorite restaurant, his eyes shining as he talked about his day. Nico never thought he could be this happy, this lucky to have found love. Because this was love, wasn’t it? They hadn’t said it, had unconsciously avoided it. Love was for soulmates. Love wasn’t for whatever this was, even if Nico was sure this could be love, too.

Will reaches across the table, intertwining his fingers with Nico’s. (He’s taken to wearing a watch on his wrist, like he’s trying to block out any soulmate reminders. Nico’s never asked about it before, but he’s sure that’s what it’s there for.)

“Hey, Nico?” Will says. Nico looks up. “I want you to move in with me.” It’s something they’d discussed before, moving in with each other. Hazel and Frank had found each other last year, and it only made sense that they live together. It had been implied that Nico would find a new place to live, perhaps with Will.

“Yeah?” Nico asks. Will nods, smiling.

“You can think about it. You don’t have to say yes right now. I know it’s kind of a lot to think about.” Nico smiles. He’d love to move in with Will. He already stayed half of his nights over at Will’s. He’d gotten used to Will’s arms around him, Will’s hand in his, Will’s towel hanging to dry next to his own.

“Okay,” Nico says softly. “I want to say yes, but let me think about it. It’s a big change.” Will smiles, kissing Nico’s hand.

Will excuses himself to go to the bathroom then, and Nico sits there, smiling. He’s moving in with Will. They could get married, adopt some children, get a dog. Everything Nico could have in a soulmate, he could have in Will. He scratches at his wrist while he waits for Will to get back. He’s decided he doesn’t need to think about it. He wants to move in with Will. He loves Will. There isn’t anything else to it.

His wrist still itches. He glances down, heart stopping for a moment when he sees that familiar red line. Will’s not back yet, and he’s not sure how he’d even explain it.  
“Are you going?” a waitress asks. Nico nods dumbly. He’s moving on automatic, his right hand maneuvering the wheelchair, Nico’s body just moving with it. He’s making his way through the restaurant now, working his way towards the entrance. The string is tight, tighter than it’s been, and Nico feels that he’s this close. The tables and purses are making it difficult to get through, and he keeps having to ask someone to move their stuff. Then Will appears, smiling when he sees Nico.

Nico feels a slight tug on his wrist. He looks down. The red line is gone.  
“What’s wrong?” Will asks. Nico feels like he’s going to cry. Because his soulmate is still out there. It’s not Will. He can’t move in with Will, not when his soulmate is waiting for him.

“My soulmate,” Nico says. Will’s expression morphs, an expression Nico can’t quite identify.

“What about them?” Will asks.

“Don’t you ever wonder about them?” Nico asks. “Like, we’re connected, you know?”

Will just shrugs. “Not really. Nico, I-“

“I can’t move in with you, Will,” Nico whispers.

“Because of your soulmate?” Will asks. He looks angry, but he’s blinking like he’s trying not to cry. He reaches for Nico’s hands, swiping his fingers over Nico’s wrist. “There’s no line there. For all we know, it may never appear again. Why waste your life waiting for someone who may never appear?”

But Nico believes that they’re going to appear. “I just have to keep looking,” he says. “We knew this day would come, Will. When one of us would find our soulmates.”

“You haven’t found them yet,” Will says. “You can still move in with me. I promise we can break up when you find them.” If, Nico hears. Will doesn’t think Nico will ever find his soulmate. What if Will doesn’t even let Nico leave him? What if he makes Nico stay with him? (But Will wouldn’t do that, right?)

“I’m sorry, Will. If I stay with you, I may never find them.”

“Nico, please. You don’t have to believe in them. I love you.” He pauses. “Do you love me?”

Nico thought he loved Will. But maybe he’d just poured all of the love he’d been saving for his soulmate into Will. He isn’t sure. But he’s supposed to love his soulmate. And Will isn’t his soulmate. So this can’t be love. He’s sure of it. This has to be something else, something close. But it isn’t the real thing. He can’t keep pretending.

He shakes his head, sees Will break in front of him. He lets Will take him home, but he shuts the door before any tears fall.  
-  
Reyna comes over immediately. Will’s not sure why it hurts so much. He knew it was going to happen. He’d often caught Nico staring at his wrist, talking about soulmates with his sister, talking about someone who clearly wasn’t Will. Still, it hurt. It hurt that Nico didn’t love Will, that maybe Will had also been pretending all along.

“It’s okay that it hurts, Will. It means you cared about him. You can still love someone. Even if they aren’t your soulmate.”

Will shrugs. He didn’t see the point in it. If you believed in soulmates, why go and break someone else’s heart? He couldn’t stop thinking of Nico, seeing that determined look on his face as he sought out his soulmate. And who had stopped him? Will. Will had stopped Nico from finding the love of his life, from being happy. He hadn’t been lying when he said that the line would appear again, but Nico could have fallen in love tonight. And Will had stopped him.

“It’s not your fault, Will. You didn’t know this was going to happen.”

“But I knew he cared.” It’d hurt that day when Will had seen Nico zooming down the street. Will almost let himself hope that Nico was his soulmate when Nico stopped outside the coffee shop, looking around so determined. But there hadn’t been a red line on Will’s wrist when he’d looked. Just the tan expanse of skin, the one place no freckle ever appeared. Will had thought he’d felt a tingle or an itch, but there was nothing there. But it’d hurt to see Nico so disappointed when the search had turned up fruitless.

Why couldn’t Will have been the one to make Nico happy? Why wasn’t he enough?

“Is there something wrong with me?” Will asks.

Reyna brushes his hair back. She hadn’t found her soulmate either. Like Will, she hadn’t been looking.

“Other than your cynical beliefs?” Reyna asks. “There isn’t anything wrong with you, Will. The world just isn’t ready for you to find love.”

Will swipes at the tears on his face. He’d thought he’d loved Nico. He thought he still did. If that wasn’t love, he wasn’t sure he wanted anything else.

He loved the way Nico’s hands were always faintly grey from the graphite of his pencils, the way he smelled of vanilla lotion, the way he rolled his eyes whenever Will made a joke. He’d loved the way Nico had smiled when Will asked him to move in.

“I think I loved him. No, love him. I think I love him, Reyna.” He feels so miserable right now. This, he tells himself, is why he’d stayed away from love and soulmates for the first nineteen years of his life. He doesn’t know what happened in the last three.

“You probably do,” Reyna says. It helps a little. To know that he’s not crazy or delusional. But it makes it hurt that much more.

“So, do I just forget him now?” Will asks. It was the only logical thing. He didn’t want to be friends with Nico, watch Nico hold hands and kiss his soulmate. Hear about the soulmate over coffee or breakfast.

“I guess so,” Reyna says. “Unless you can think of a better idea.”

Will shakes his head, reaching over to the table. He takes one last look at the picture of him and Nico smiling, arms wrapped around each other, (Hazel had taken it on their thirtieth date) before pushing it picture-facing down. Reyna rubs his back, letting him cry.  
-  
Nico wasn’t sure how to feel. He’d kind of just broken up with Will, and he’d also missed his soulmate. They’d been in the restaurant, or just outside, probably. Nico had never imagined being so close to them.

“So what now?” Hazel asks. Nico shrugs. He couldn’t go back to Will, not after promising him a future, and then breaking his heart. He knew what Will looked like when he was about to cry. That had been Will about to break.

“I guess I just keep waiting. I’ve waited this long.” Hazel nods. She smiles.

“I believe in you guys. Whoever the other person is.”

Nico smiles back. He feels bad about Will, but he’d feel even worse if he married Will and then met his soulmate. In a way, he feels kind of relieved.

“Do you think I’d’ve found him sooner if I hadn’t been dating Will?” Nico asks. Hazel shrugs.

“I don’t think you can say either way. On one hand, I don’t think it was a waste of anything to date Will. On the other, maybe if you’d been more focused, you could have found your soulmate.” Nico nods.

“Guess it doesn’t matter now anyway.” He smiles. He’s ready to find his soulmate.  
-  
It’s been a year, and Will’s considering moving. It’d make him feel a lot better. But he’d also be moving away from his soulmate. And he can’t stop thinking of Nico’s face, of his disappointment when the line has disappeared. Could he do that to his soulmate? Or was his soulmate simply like him? Trying to find a way out, not caring about the person on the other side?

Will doesn’t know. Reyna’s convinced him to stay at least until the end of the year. That way, he can transfer completed credits rather than just quitting and having to wait to start again.

“No tugs?” Reyna asks. Will shakes his head. Reyna’s line had appeared a few months ago. It’d disappeared too quickly, but she was still hoping, Will knows. Will just wants to get away from all of this. If he goes far enough away, the line won’t appear. Then he can live out his life in solitude. Except, that sounds horrible, and Will isn’t sure what he wants. (He knows what he wants, his wedding band to match Nico’s.)

Will scratches his wrist, about to make some dry retort when the shop door flies open much faster than it should with a wheelchair pushing through.

“Will.” It’s his name, breathless, like someone’s been racing to find him. He looks up, expecting to see anything but those familiar brown eyes.

“Nico?”

“It’s you.” And Nico’s holding out his wrist, a small red line almost fading. Will looks down at his own wrist, expecting disappointment. But it’s there, the same red string that’s tied around Nico’s wrist.

“It’s me,” he whispers.  
-  
Nico hadn’t quite believed it until the day they get their lines at the same time, merging into one perfect line when they squish their wrists together. He knows Will had been cautious, too, only allowing hand-holding and face-kisses. Nico understood. The heart could only break so many times.

Then Nico had been making lunch when Will burst out of their bedroom. “Nico!” he’d called. And Nico cried when he saw the familiar red string. It was looped so casually around Will’s wrist, scratching against his own. Will had flung his arms around Nico, rolling them into the counters.

“It’s you. It’s really you,” Will was mumbling. Nico giggles, he’s so deliriously happy.

Red might be color of heartbreak, but it’s also the color of cute blushes and good wine. It can be the color of falling in love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated :)


	10. sunshine boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nico falls in love with a boy who has hair the color of the sun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to be a Hades/Persephone myth au, but it kind of took a different turn. It's also kind of long. But I hope you can still enjoy it. (And that it makes sense.)

When Nico was little, he didn’t understand the things that his parents did. He didn’t understand what laws were, why some people didn’t dress like he did, why he couldn’t play with the other kids. Bianca tried to explain things to him, but he was more interested in watching the kids outside his window play. They always looked so happy, so full of life. They didn’t have to sit through boring lectures from a nanny, didn’t have to wear clothes that weren’t allowed to get dirty, didn’t have to eat dinner at tables so long that Nico couldn’t see the other end.

One of the things Nico didn’t understand was courting. He thought it was a dance. He’d been to a few of them, all dressed up in the stuffiest of clothes. There, everyone would twirl and spin around. It almost looked like playing, and it almost felt as fun. Still, Nico didn’t see the other kids at dances. He looked for them, but his father said that they weren’t allowed to come. His mother just gave him a small smile, holding out her arms to dance with him. 

“I like the boy with the sunshine hair,” Nico says. Bianca looks at him. She’d been practicing her painting, carefully coloring the paper to resemble the trees outside their windows. Nico noticed that she had left out the children playing.

“Why not the boy with the green eyes?” Bianca asks. “The one you danced with two nights ago?”

Nico shrugs. That boy had been nice, but he hadn’t smiled like the sunshine boy. Nico couldn’t see himself laughing with the green-eyed boy. He’d been too stiff, too awkward. No, Nico liked the way the sunshine boy played. He always had a lot of friends with him, and they would always be playing something that made everyone smile. Nico wanted to smile like that, but he wasn’t allowed to have any fun.

“He’s okay,” Nico says. “The sunshine boy is better.”  
Bianca just shakes her head. Nico knows she doesn’t understand. She’s had her eyes on a pretty boy with brown eyes and dark hair. Father approves of the pairing. Father approves of Bianca. If she were a boy, she’d have the crown and the kingdom. Instead, Nico’s the boy, so the crown goes to him. By default.

“Maybe you should ask Father again,” Bianca says quietly. “He might let you go out. I heard him and Mother talking.” Nico shrugs. He’s not sure. He doesn’t ask.  
-  
“I want to dance with him,” Nico says. Because that’s what love is, he’s learned. Love is holding hands and quick kisses and dancing together. That’s how Mother and Father fell in love. That’s how Bianca fell in love. (Except, Bianca doesn’t believe in love, she says. Nico doesn’t understand. She’d done everything right. She’d held hands and danced and only kissed when it was okay.)

Nico’s still learning. He’s only eight, and he’s not his father’s favorite. Every day he’s forced to sit through lessons and boring lectures. He’s supposed to know how to ride, how to eat, how to dress. He didn’t know there was more than one way to do something, doesn’t know why there is. Dances are now the only time he gets to see other people outside of his home, but they’re still disappointing. He hates holding hands with strangers, but he always imagines them to be the sunshine boy. That makes them a little better.

Nico’s nine when he understands what money is. He’s never handled it before, never had to. His parents take care of business, of everything, really. He’s never known why money was so important. It was just silver and gold coins. Why would anyone want something so plain and boring? (He likes to stack them, see how tall they can get. Other than that, they’re no fun. The sunshine boy doesn’t play with money.)

“It’s power,” Bianca says. “Whoever has the most, has the power.” Nico doesn’t understand about power either. The only way he can think about it is with his parents. His parents have money, they have power. He doesn’t. But Bianca says he has power, even if he doesn’t have money. Because his parents have money. He wishes it were simpler. He wishes that he could play with the sunshine boy without having to worry about money and power. Laughter and smiles were free, right?  
-  
When he’s ten, his father takes him into the village. Nico doesn’t understand what he’s seeing. His head is stuffed with facts, laws, dates. He knows, but he doesn’t understand. His family has so much money. They could help these people. They could make everyone’s life better. Instead, they throw balls and social evenings and feasts. They order their clothes and ride in carriages instead of walking like everyone else.

Nico leans his head out of the carriage, hoping for a glimpse of the sunshine boy. He hasn’t been playing outside of Nico’s window anymore. Bianca says he’s grown up, like Nico should be doing. He doesn’t have time to play anymore, and now Nico knows why. He doesn’t have money, he doesn’t have power. Laughter and smiles were free because they didn’t cost anything. But they didn’t make anything either.

“Why can’t we give them some of our money, Father?” Nico asks. His father is sitting across from him, back straight, eyes ahead. He’s not even looking out the window. This is all just scenery to him. “They look hungry, Father.” Nico glances out the window again. The people aren’t starving, but it’s clear that they don’t have feasts every other night. They don’t go to dances, to parties. They don’t have tutors.

“If we were all equal, there would be nothing,” Mr. di Angelo says. “For some to be wealthy, it creates a balance. Besides, how would we afford those cream puffs you like so much?” Nico casts his eyes down. There’s an uncomfortable feeling growing in his stomach. He doesn’t like this, doesn’t like the way that he can parade through town whenever he wants. But these people have to work every day. He doesn’t like that the sunshine boy can’t laugh and smile outside his window anymore.   
-  
Bianca’s moved away to live with her husband, and Nico’s lonely. He’s supposed to be studying, learning, becoming. Except, he feels like he’s getting further and further away from being a human. He doesn’t smile anymore, doesn’t look out the window. Instead, his steps are monotonous, his syllables routine. Everything he does has been planned out, practiced, repeated. He’s not even in charge of his own life.

He’s thirteen when he sneaks out of his house. It’s not hard to do. His parents are entertaining guests for the third time this week, his sister is gone, the house staff is busy. He slips out unnoticed.

It’s early evening. He heads towards town, trying his best not to get his shoes dusty. Town is the opposite of his house. It’s bustling and busy and alive. There isn’t dreaded talk of guest lists, of courting, of fancy trips only meant to impress. Instead, there’s the smell of fish, vendors yelling, people being people.

Nico slips into the crowd, eyes scanning. He’s trying to take it all in. It’s so different like this. So different from the carriage. He’s a part of it now, no longer separated by a window. He’s overwhelmed by the scents, the sounds, the people. They wear different clothes, have their hair however they want, talk however they want.

“Hello, sir. Can I interest you in a pastry?” Nico startles. His heart rate kicks up a notch because he’s found him. He’s found the sunshine boy. Or, rather, the sunshine boy has found him. He nods. “Three copper coins,” he says. Nico deflates.

“No money,” he says. He feels slightly ashamed. Sunshine boy smiles at him, offering him the pastry anyway. Nico shakes his head again. He can’t steal from this boy.

“Go ahead. You can have it.” Nico slowly reaches out for the pastry. It’s flaky, and some crumbles. “Here.” Nico opens his mouth as the sunshine boy places the pastry on Nico’s tongue. Nico closes his mouth, his lips just brushing the boy’s fingers. “Is it good?”

Nico can only nod. He’s mesmerized by it all. The flakiness of the pastry, the freckles, the blue eyes.

“Come with me.” He’s got this urge now, and he can’t shake it. He must have his boy. He can’t leave without him.

“Pardon me?” The sunshine boy frowns, confused.

“Come with me,” Nico repeats. He tries to channel his father’s tone as he does so, and he can tell the difference. The boy tenses, glancing around. He moves around his stall, dusting off his hands on the front of his shirt.

“I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to offend you,” he stutters out. He’s blushing, apologizing, and Nico just wants to make him smile again.

“Come with me.” And then Nico grabs his hand, pulling him down the street. The sunshine boy startles, protests, but he doesn’t pull away. Nico doesn’t let go until they’re in his bedroom. Then he realizes what he’s done.  
-  
The sunshine boy, Will, is crying. It’s Nico’s fault, but he can’t let go now. He’s finally gotten what he wants. He’s gotten the sunshine boy into his life. He’s no longer on the other side of the window. But he still feels so far away. He’s curled up in the corner of Nico’s room, his face in his hands, tears running down his face. This is his home now, and Nico can’t quite figure out what’s so upsetting about that.

“Are you hungry?” Nico asks. The boy shakes his head. “Thirsty? Tired?” He doesn’t know anything about people, about this boy. All he wants is a smile, and he doesn’t know how to get that. He wasn’t trained to make boys like this smile.

“I want to go home,” the boy says. He wipes his face, and Nico hands him a handkerchief. “I miss Mama and Papa and my brothers and sister.”

Will’s been in the di Angelo house for four days. He’s spent most of those days crying, curled up in the corner of Nico’s room. Mr. di Angelo had tried to get him to be more lively for Nico, but Nico had felt so bad that he’d asked to take care of this himself.

“You can still see them,” Nico says. He’s sure his father will let Will visit his family. Will just sniffles, his blue eyes so full of tears. Nico doesn’t know what to do. If he lets Will go, he’ll never see him again. HIs father will marry him off to some pretty lady or rich man, and Nico will never be happy. He thought he’d be happy with Will, but Will’s not smiling.

“Why am I here?” Will asks. Nico looks away from those blue eyes.

“You’re my chosen mate,” Nico says. The words just roll off of his lips. Will’s eyes widen.

“Me?” He frowns, confused. “I have nothing to offer,” he says. He blinks a few times, uncurling just a little bit.

“I want to see you smile,” Nico says. Will does, but it’s fake. Nico wishes he didn’t have money. Maybe then Will would smile for real. Maybe then he’d smile because Nico made him happy.  
-  
It takes Will a while to get the hang of things. He doesn’t know which silverware to use, doesn’t know how to dance, or how to dress. Nico takes care of all of this, spending patient hours with Will. He likes the boy’s freckles, how he blushes when he gets flustered or when Nico’s being nice. He likes the curliness of Will’s hair, the way it bounces when Will walks. But his favorite time of the day is when they have dancing lessons.

Then Nico can touch Will’s waist, his shoulders, pull him close. He can finally dance with his sunshine boy. He doesn’t even care if Will steps on his feet, trips over them. What does hurt is the distance that Will puts between them. Dancing is supposed to be close, personal, about falling in love. Will dances because he has to. He spends time with Nico because he has to. And that hurts.

“Do you not like it here?” Nico asks one day. Will has lived in the di Angelo house for a year. He’s learned all of his manners, has memorized every important guest, knows how to dance. He knows everything Nico knows, has everything Nico has, but he’s still so different.

Will shuffles his feet, doesn’t quite look at Nico as he shrugs. Here, in Nico’s bedroom, he’s Nico’s sunshine boy. That smile (still small) will sometimes make an appearance. He tells Nico stories of his family, his friends. He teaches Nico how to whistle, how to make bubbles.

“It’s okay. If you don’t like it here,” Nico says. “I don’t like it here all the time either.”

Will looks at him, eyes wide. “I miss my family,” he says. “I think they miss me, too.” Nico nods. His father had cut off communication with Will’s family. He said it was in Will’s best interest, in Nico’s best interest. Nico hadn’t realized it at the time, but they were grooming Will to be fit for courting.

“What if you could visit them?” Nico asks. The guilt has been stirring in his ribcage for a year. He knows Will would never say anything unless he was asked, would never give any hint that he was unhappy with his treatment and care during the past year. Still, Nico had heard him crying, seen him looking out the same window Nico had so long ago.

“Really?” Will asks. There’s something sparkling in those blue eyes, and Nico nods. Then Will smiles, and Nico thinks finally. He’s finally done something right.

It takes a lot of convincing before Will is allowed to visit his family. Nico accompanies him. (He’d begged.) He feels nervous as the carriage stops outside of a small house. Will’s bouncing in his seat. Once they had left the di Angelo house, he’d been talking nonstop, blue eyes glancing everywhere. Nico had just taken it all in.

The moment the front door opens, Will’s leaping out of the carriage. He rushes into his mother’s arms. Nico stands to the side, unsure of what to do. He’s never hugged his father, never felt the need to. Then Will’s siblings are pouring out of the house. Will hugs each of them before introducing Nico. He’s lived his whole life on the outside, looking in. But he’s never felt so out of place.

The Solaces usher him into their house. It’s a bit cramped with so many people, but no one seems to notice. Mrs. Solace fusses over Will, bringing food to the table. There’s an explosion of questions once Will’s sat down. He answers them all with a small smile on his face. He keeps glancing at Nico.

It seems that none of the Solaces hold a grudge against Nico for kidnapping their son, brother, family. (He’s not sure if they’re even allowed to hold a grudge.) They all welcome him, offer him food, fuss over him. He’s too skinny, too pale, too quiet. Nico’s lost in the chaos of family. He’s never felt so apart of something.

He keeps looking at Will, looking at the way he smiles, the sound of his laughter, the tone of affection in each of his siblings’ names. Nico thinks of Bianca, so far away. She writes him letters on occasion, but they never say more than what is necessary. He knows everything about the weather there, the type of dances, who goes to the dances. He knows nothing about her dreams, her daily worries, if she misses him. (He doesn’t know if he misses her. The thought consumes him with guilt.)

“Nico?” Will asks. They’re all looking at him, concern in their blue eyes. “He’s not used to so much fuss,” Will says. Nico can only nod.

“Did you like seeing them?” Nico asks on the way back. Will nods. The closer they get to the di Angelo house, the more reserved Will gets. He’s no longer bouncing with excitement, chattering away. Instead, he pulls his vest on, arranges his curls, plasters on the expression of content.  
-  
Will no longer lives at the di Angelo house. Nico misses him, even if he does come to visit every day. It’s the small things, he misses. The quiet walks in the garden, the comfortable silence between them at night, the comfort of Will’s hand in his. Now, every time Will comes over, there’s something planned. They go riding, walk in the garden, read in the library. Will is still invited to every dance, and every time he is shown off like some prize.

Nico’s nearing the age of taking the title, and he feels suffocated. He’s lost his sunshine boy, replacing him with a replication of himself. Will smiles because he has to. He doesn’t laugh because it’s disruptive. He doesn’t talk unless talked to. He’s charming and flattering, but he’s lying. Nico knows. He can see it in Will’s eyes, the way that they don’t meet anyone’s gaze. The way that his fingers fiddle with the buttons on his vest.

Will wasn’t born to be someone’s second, someone’s puppet, someone’s prize. Nico doesn’t know what to do.  
-  
Nico’s seventeen, and he’s been meeting Will in secret. It should feel wrong, but it doesn’t. It feels like the most freeing thing he’s ever done. Under the cover of night, outside of every rule and regulation he’s ever known, there’s Will. And Will is beautiful.

He’s got flour in his hair, callouses on his fingers, life in his eyes. Nico can’t believe he’d missed it. He can’t believe he’d been so stupid. He courts Will by day, loves him by night. It’s draining and exhausting and so wrong. But Nico’s never felt more alive.

“I think I’m falling in love with you, Nico di Angelo,” Will whispers to him one night. “And that terrifies me.”

“Because you don’t want to?” Nico asks. They’re lying in the grass behind Will’s house, their fingers interlaced. Nico’s just learning how complicated love can be. It’s not dancing like he thought. It’s more simple than that, but oh so much more complicated.

“I can’t go back,” Will says. “I can’t be what you want me to be.” Nico shakes his head. All he’s ever wanted was his sunshine boy. And he’s got him, right here, under the canopy of stars.

Nico doesn’t know what to say. If he tells Will how he really feels, he’ll disappoint his father. But he can’t leave his father and everything he’s ever known. He can’t give up his throne for love, can he? What will he be then?

“What if I’m falling, too?” Nico asks. Will’s smile twists.

“Are you?” Will turns onto his side, his eyes so brilliant under the stars. “Because maybe you could come with me.” Nico purses his lips. Maybe he can get his father to change his mind. If Nico’s learned one thing, it’s that he doesn’t need riches and wealth to find love. (But doesn’t he need riches for everything else? What else does he need?) He’s seventeen, and he’s still missing so much.  
But Will’s holding his hand, his thumb tracing idly over Nic’s skin. And maybe he’s the answer. Maybe the other stuff doesn’t matter.

He kisses Will like a promise. It’s the opposite of everything he’s ever been taught, wild and reckless and for the world to see. But it feels right. Like he’s finally starting to understand something. Not about the world, but about himself.  
-  
It’s two months until Nico enters the family title, two months until Nico’s got to seal the deal. Will’s exhausted himself at every dance, every social gathering, every ceremony. Nico’s about dead on his feet, too. Dead in his heart until he meets up with Will at night.  
“You really love him, yes?” his father asks him. Nico nods. He’s already decided that he doesn’t need his father’s permission to love Will. He only needs Will’s, and Will’s already given him that and so much more.

“He doesn’t want to be one of us,” Nico says softly. Mr. di Angelo nods. “I want to marry him. But I don’t want him to be trapped.” Nico would let Will go if it meant Will got to keep his sunshine smile.

“Very well,” his father says.

Nico doesn’t understand until he sees the plans for the house. It’s a smaller one than the di Angelo house, slightly bigger than the Solace’s. But it’s modest and beautiful and a gift. Nico runs to Will’s house before he can think better about it.

Will cries when Nico proposes on the spot, no ring, no fanfare, no attachments. He says yes, even before Nico tells him about the house, about everything. When he does, Will sits there, absolutely stunned.

“You mean?” Will asks, not able to get all of the words out.

“No more balls, no parties, no obligations,” Nico says. (There are still a few things that are still attached to the di Angelo name, but it’s nothing that Nico can’t handle.)

Will smiles softly. “Well, I’ll still dance with you anytime you want.” Nico grins because he’s finally made it. Will loops his arms around Nico’s waist, pulling him close. Nico can’t process everything that’s happening, so he just kisses Will.

“I know,” Will whispers. “I’m happy, too.”

And that’s it. Nico’s happy. He’s got his sunshine boy in his arms, and he’s never letting go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments are appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated :)


End file.
